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PROPHETS™  PATRIARCHS 


OF   THE 


Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter -Day  Sail 


Cowley's  Talks  on  Doctrine 


BY 

K.  COWUEY 

ONE  OP  THE  TWELVE  APOSTLES 


PUBLISHED  BY  BEN.  E.  RICH 

CHATTANOOGA,  TENN. 

1902 


Bancroft-  I  ibr»t4 

INDEX. 


SUBJECT  PAGE 

Apostasy 323 

Authority.   Divine 378 

P>aptism 414 

Benson,  Ezra  T 20G 

Book  of  Mormon 488 

Cannon,  George  Q l.~»2 

Cannon.  Abraham  H 286 

Charity 47.", 

Church,  The 3.V> 

Church  Organization H72 

Clawson,    Rudger 800 

Cowley.  Matthias  F 21)2 

Divine  Authority 378 

Eternal  Rewards  and  Punishments 406 

Faith 402 

Gathering  of  Israel 446 

God,  Personality  of 388 

Grant,  Jedediali  M 131 

Grant,  Heber  J 269 

Holy  Spirit,  Reception  of  the 420 

Hyde,  Orson 184 

Kimball,  Heber  C 118 

Lund,  Authon  H T 171 

Lyman.  Francis  M 244 

Marriage 41)7 

Merrill,   Marriner  W 279 

*- 

Millennium 501 

Mormon,  Book  of 488 

Obedience   470 

Patten,  David  W 177 

Personality  of  God 383 

Pratt.  Orson.  .  199 


IV  INDEX. 

SUBJECT  PAGE 

Pratt,  Parley  P ; 191 

Pre-Existence 4:26 

Keception  of  the  Holy  Spirit 420 

Repentance  40£ 

Restoration  of  the  Gospel 338 

Resurrection 480 

Revelation 394 

Rich,  Charles  C 212 

Richards,  Willard 125 

Richards,  Franklin  D 229 

Salvation  for  the  Dead 430 

Smith,  George  A 138 

Smith,  Hyrum 36 

Smith,  Hyrum  M 315 

Smith,  Joseph,  Sr 5 

Smith,  Joseph 9 

Smith,  Joseph  F 99 

Smith,  John 114 

Smith,  John,  Fourth  Patriarch 56 

Smith,  John  Henry 253 

Smoot,  Reed 310 

Snow,  Erastus 219 

Snow,  Lorenzo 86 

Taylor,  John 59 

Taylor,  John  W 274 

Teasdale,  George 261 

Tithing 459 

Wells,  Daniel  H 147 

Winder,  John  R 166 

Woodruff,   Wilford 69 

Woodruff,  Abraham  O 301 

Young,  Brigham 42 

Young,  Brigham,  Jr 238 


PROPHETS  if  PATRIARCHS 


OP    THE 


CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  OF 
LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 


BY 

MATTHIAS     K.    COWLKY 

ONE  OF  THE  APOSTLES 


PUBLISHED    BY 
BEN.     E.     RICH, 

CHATTANOOGA,  TENN. 


1844 


JOSEPH  SMITH  I1YRUM  SMITH 

PROPHET  AND  PATRIARCH 

(BROTHERS) 


1901 


JOSEPH  F.  SMITH 


JOHN  SMITH 


PROPHET  AND  PATRIARCH 

(BROTHERS) 


PREFACE. 

'HE  BIOGRAPHIES  of  Ike  Apostles  and  Patriarchs  of  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter  --Day  Saints,  by  Apostle 
Matthias  F.  Cowley,  were  written  for  the  li  Southern  Star." 
When  that  periodical  suspended  publication  not  more  than 
half  the  letters  from  Brother  Cowley  had  been  published.  The 
biographies  which  did  appear,  howiver,  were  very  popular  among  the 
Elders  and  Saints  of  the  Southern  States  Mission,  and  numerous  culls 
came  for  them  from  the  West. 

They  are  written  in  a  simple  and  easy  slyle,  abounding  in  interesting 
incidents  and  valuable  historical  facts. 

It  was  the  desire  and  original  intention  of  the  author  to  submit  the 
biographies  of  the  First  Seven  Presidents  of  Seventies  and  Presiding  Bish- 
opric for  the  readers  of  this  little  volume,  but  not  having  these  prepared  for 
publication,  and  the  opportunity  presenting  itself,  almost  ivithout  learning, 
for  the  publication  of  those  already  prepared,  it  was  thought  best  to  leave 
them  for  a  subsequent  edition. 

As  the  articles  contain  much  valuable  information,  and  (heir  publica- 
tion will  be  instrumental  in  doing  good,  I  accept  as  a  labor  of  love  the 
pleasant  task  of  presenting,  in  book  form,  all  of  Apostle  Cowley1  s  biographies 
to  the  u  Star" — those  which  appeared,  those  which  were  ready  for  publication 
when  the  paper  suspended,  and  a  few  recently  prepared. 

BEN.  E.  RICH. 

Chattanooga,  Tenn., 

January,  1902. 


JOSEPH  SMITH,  SB. 

Among  the  commonality  of  the  many  respectable  class  of 
sturdy  English  who  emigrated  from  the  old  to  the  new  world, 
was  one  Robert  Smith,  who,  with  his  wife  Mary,  settled  in 
Essex,  Mass.,  about  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
The  posterity  of  these  worthy  people  went  through  all  the 
training  so  necessary  to  qualify  them  for  the  great  struggle  for 
liberty  that  was  so  soon  to  follow.  Samuel,  the  son  of  Robert 
and  Mary,  born  January  26,  1666,  married  Rebecca  Curtis 
January  25,  1707.  Their  son.  the  second  Samuel,  was  born 
January  26,  1714;  he  wedded  Priscilla  Gould,  and  their  son 
Asael  was  born  March  1,  1744.  Asael  Smith  wooed  and  won  a 
typical  New  England  lass,  Mary  Duty,  and  on  July  12.  1771, 
was  born  the  character  of  this  brief  biography,  Joseph  Smith, 
the  father  of  the  prophet  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Born,  as  he  was,  while  yet  the  dark,  ominous  clouds  of  war 
hung  heavily  over  the  peaceful  horizon  of  the  embryonic  re- 
public, it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  his  plastic  mem- 
ory retained  many  incidents  of  the  long,  weary  years  of  that 
unequal  contest,  and  it  is  only  natural  to  presume  that  some  of 
those  memories  were  closely  interwoven  with  his  father's  sol- 
dier life.  But  it  is  not  this  period  of  his  life  that  we  will  em- 
phasize. Suffice  it  to  say  that  he  sprang  from  some  of  the  old 
revolutionary  stock  that  has  made  it  possible  for  its  descend- 
ants to  become  freemen  in  all  the  term  implies. 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1796,  Joseph  married  Lucy  Mack  at 
Tunbridge,  in  the  State  of  Vermont.  She  was  born  July  8, 
1776,  just  four  days  after  the  declaration  of  independence. 
For  many  generations  the  men  of  these  two  families— Smith 
and  Mack— had  been  tillers  of  the  soil,  and  it  was  only  natural 
after  his  marriage  for  Joseph  and  his  young  bride  to  settle  on 
their  little  farm  at  Tunbridge,  and  pursue  the  honorable  avoca- 
tion of  their  ancestors.  This  they  did  for  a  few  years,  and 
their  perseverance,  industry  and  frugality  surrounded  them 
with  the  comforts  of  life,  placing  them  on  an  equal  footing 
with  the  well-to-do  farmers  in  their  vicinity.  This  prosperity, 


6  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

so  much  to  be  desired,  was  of  brief  duration,  for  the  dishonesty 
of  a  trusted  friend  and  agent,  robbed  them  of  their  surplus  sav- 
ings and  left  them  plunged  in  debt.  It  is  too  often  the  case,  as 
we  journey  along  life's  rugged  highway,  viewing  the  wrecked 
fortunes  of  those  we  love,  that  we  observe  the  hidden  cause  of 
such  disasters  to  be  almost  invariably  misplaced  confidence. 

Possessing  that  high  regard  for  honesty  that  so  characterized 
his  ancestors,  Joseph,  together  with  his  helpmate,  sacrificed  all 
of  money  value  and  possessions,  even  the  homestead,  which  had 
endeared  itself  to  them  as  Lucy's  treasured  dowry,  and  offset 
every  just  claim  that  was  held  against  them.  During  this 
period  of  their  early  married  life,  God  blessed  them  with  three 
children,  namely:  Alvin.  born  February  11,  1799;  Hyrum, 
born  February  9,  1800,  and  Sophronia,  born  'May  IS,  1803. 
Left  entirely  without  means  and  home,  Joseph  rented  his  father- 
in-law's  farm,  which  was  located  at  Sharon,  Windsor  county. 
Here  he  moved  his  little  family  with  the  hope  of  retrieving  that 
which  he  had  lost.  By  tilling  the  soil  in  summer,  and  teaching 
the  village  school  in  winter,  Joseph  restored  to  his  family,  in  a 
measure,  the  home  comforts  they  once  enjoyed.  But  God's 
ways  are  not  man's  ways.  Joseph  and  Lucy,  like  their  Elder 
Brother,  had  to  learn  obedience  by  the  things  which  they  suf- 
fered, that  they  might  be  all  the  more  qualified  for  the  import- 
ant work  that  God  would  shortly  require  at  their  hands — even 
that  of  bearing  and  rearing  a  prophet.  Their  son  Joseph,  the 
Prophet,  was  born  December  23,  1805. 

While  at  Sharon,  though  diligent  and  industrious,  Joseph  and 
his  family  were  pursued  by  poverty  and  illness,  so  that  those  of 
the  family  who  were  able  had  to  work  hard  for  a  sustenance. 
Being  thus  almost  exclusively  engaged  in  trying  hard  to  repair 
his  shattered  fortunes,  Joseph  found  little  time  to  pay  attention 
to  the  desire  that  lay  nearest  his  heart,  that  of  educating  his 
children  and  preparing  them  for  life's  battles  and  difficulties. 
Afterward  he  moved  from  Sharon,  and  later,  in  1815,  left  the 
State  of  his  nativity,  that  in  so  many  ways  had  been  so  unkind 
to  him  and  his,  and  setting  his  face  westward,  he  journeyed 
into  the  wilds  of  New  York,  locating  at  Palmyra,  Ontario 
county.  Here  he  engaged  in  clearing  land  and  preparing  a  new 
home  for  his  family,  who  joined  him  four  years  later.  At  this 
place,  and  in  the  adjoining  town  of  Manchester,  he  dwelt  for 


JOSEPH   SMITH,  SR.  7 

several  years.  With  the  severest  toil,  assisted  by  his  young 
boys,  he  could  only  compass  a  frugal  mode  of  life.  Joseph 
Smith  was  not  a  man  to  be  ruled  entirely  by  circumstances, 
and  occasionally  we  find  him  rising  above  them,  devoting  some 
hours  of  each  week  to  the  careful  development  of  the  intellects 
of  the  children  that  God  had  entrusted  into  his  care. 

In  addition  to  those  already  named,  the  offspring  of  Joseph 
and  Lucy  Smith  are  as  follows: 

Samuel,  born  March  13,  1808,  at  Tunbridge,  Vt. 

Ephraim,  born  March  13,  1810,  at  Royalton,  Vt. 

William,  born  March  13,  1811,  at  Royalton,  Vt. 

Catherine,  born  July  8,  1812,  at  Lebanon,  N.  H. 

Don  Carlos,  born  March  25,  1816,  probably  at  Palmyra,  N.  Y. 

Lucy,  born  July  18,  1821,  probably  at  Palmyra,  N.  Y. 

With  such  a  large  family  to  rear  and  educate,  Father  Smith's 
time  was  solely  occupied.  Little  from  this  period  until  his 
Prophet  son  stirred  the  whole  religious  world  with  a  strange, 
but  not  a  new  doctrine,  is  known  of  Joseph  Smith,  Sr. 

During  the  eventful  life  of  his  sons  Joseph  and  Hyrum,  he 
was  ever  their  true  friend,  wise  counselor  and  loving  father. 
When  the  shafts  of  persecution  were  hurled  with  cruel  force 
at  his  beloved  sons,  he  too  bared  his  breast  to  the  poisoned 
darts  of  bigotry,  begotten  of  the  adversary,  and  suffered  in 
common  with  them.  His  life's  attitude  toward  the  unpopular 
cause  that  his  son,  the  Prophet,  represented,  even  in  its  tender 
beginning,  is  evidence  to  the  careful  observer  that  he  pos- 
sessed deep  down  in  his  heart  the  God-given  assurance  that  it 
was  of  God.  This  testimony  remained  with  him  from  the  time 
of  that  beautiful  day  in  early  springtime,  when  his  14-year-old 
Joseph  told  him  of  what  he  had  seen  in  answer  to  his  prayer, 
until  the  day  of  his  death. 

In  the  due  course  of  time  the  Church  was  organized,  and 
Joseph  Smith,  Sr.,  became  a  member  on  the  date  of  its  organ- 
ization— April  6,  1830— and  later  became  its  first  Patriarch. 

As  to  his  labors  in  the  Church,  and  the  closing  scones  of  his 
rigorous  and  honest  life,  I  prefer  to  close  this  brief  sketch  with 
the  words  of  his  son,  the  Prophet: 

"He  was  the  first  person  who  received  my  testimony  after  I 
had  seen  the  angel,  and  exhorted  me  to  be  faithful  and  diligent 
to  the  message  I  had  received. 


PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

"In  August,  1830,  in  company  with  my  brother  Don  Carlos, 
he  took  a  mission  to  St.  Lawrence,  N,  Y.,  touching  on  his  route 
at  several  Canadian  ports,  where  he  distributed  a  few  copies  of 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  visited  his  father,  brothers  and  sister, 
residing  in  St.  Lawrence  county,  and  bore  testimony  to  the 
truth,  \vhich  resulted  eventually  in  all  the  family  coming  into 
the  Church  except  his  brother  Jesse  and  his  sister  Susan. 

"He  removed  with  his  family  to  Kirtland  in  1831;  was  or- 
dained Patriarch  and  President  of  the  High  Priesthood;  was 
a  member  of  the  first  High  Council,  organized  on  the  17th  of 
February,  1834. 

"In  1836  he  traveled  in  company  with  his  brother  John  2400 
miles  in  Ohio,  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  New  Hampshire  and 
Vermont,  visiting  the  branches  of  the  Church  in  those  States, 
and  bestowing  patriarchal  blessings  on  hundreds  of  people, 
preaching  the  gospel  to  all  that  would  hear,  and  baptizing 
many. 

"During  the  persecutions  in  Kirtland  in  1837  'he  was  made  a 
prisoner,  but  fortunately  he  obtained  his  liberty,  and  after  a 
tedious  journey  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1838,  he  arrived 
at  Far  West,  Mo.  From  there  he  fled  under  the  exterminating 
order  of  Gov.  Lilburn  W.  Boggs,  and  in  the  midwinter  made  his 
way  to  Quincy,  111.,  from  whence  he  removed  to  Commerce 
(afterward  Nauvoo)  in  the  spring  of  1839. 

"Through  these  exposures  he  contracted  consumption,  of 
which  he  died  on  the  14th  day  of  September,  1840.  He  was 
six  feet  two  inches  high,  was  very  straight,  and  remarkably 
well  proportioned.  His  ordinary  weight  was  about  two  hun- 
dred pounds,  and  he  was  very  strong  and  active.  In  his  young 
days  he  was  famed  as  a  wrestler,  and,  Jacob-like,  he  never 
wrestled  with  but  one  man  whom  he  could  not  throw.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  benevolent  of  men,  opening  his  house  to  all  who 
were  destitute.  While  at  Quincy,  111.,  he  fed  hundreds  of  poor 
Saints  who  were  flying  from  Missouri  persecutions,  although  he 
had  arrived  there  penniless  himself." 


THE  PROPHET  JOSEPH  SMITH. 

JOSEPH  SMITH,  th«  great  Prophet  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
was  born  in  the  little  town  of  Sharon,  Windsor  county, 
Vermont,  Doc.  23rd,  1805.  Like  the  parentage  of  the  Messiah 
and  the  ancient  Prophets,  his  parents  were  poor  in  the  riches 
of  the  world,  yet  rich  in  the  possession  of  those  noble  traits 
of  character  which  go  to  make  men  good  and  great  in  the 
sight  of  Him,  "who  judgeth  not  by  the  seeing  of  the  eye  nor 
the  hearing  of  the  ear,"  but  knows  the  hearts  of  all  His  child- 
ren. 

Joseph  Smith  was  a  descendant,  on  both  sides  of  his  house,  of 
the  early  founders  of  New  England,  and,  indeed,  of  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States.  He  imbibed  from  his  progeni- 
tors a  veneration  for  God,  and  love  for  human  liberty.  Dur- 
ing his  entire  career,  he  upheld  two  great  truths  which  strongly 
characterized  the  Latter-day  Saints.  One  was,  that  all  man- 
kind should  have  the  privilege  of  worshiping  Almighty  God 
according  to  the  dictates  of  their  own  consciences,  "let  them 
worship,  how,  where,  or  what  they  may;"  the  other  was,  that 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  was  framed  by  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Almighty  that  rested  upon  the  patriots  who 
founded  our  government.  Throughout  life  he  maintained  this 
doctrine  by  precept  and  example,  and  impressed  his  people 
so  strongly  with  these  views,  that  they  have  become  the  house- 
hold teaching  of  parents  to  children  in  all  the  Stakes  of  Zion 
and  branches  of  the  Church. 

The  example  of  the  Prophet's  parents  taught  him  to  be  in- 
dustrious, temperate,  virtuous,  God-fearing  and  honest  in  all 
the  transactions  of  life.  Those  who  knew  him  intimately 
from  youth  to  the  time  of  his  martyrdom  in  1844,  testify  that 
these  splendid  qualities  marked  his  life  without  variation  from 
childhood  to  the  grave.  He  had  five  brothers  and  three  sisters, 
all  well  disposed,  honest,  industrious  and  upright  people. 

When  Joseph  was  about  ten  years  of  age  the  family  removed 
to  Palmyra,  New  York,  and  four  years  later  to  Manchester 
in  the  same  county.  He  was  then  fourteen  years  of  age;  old 


PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

enough  to  think  and  reason  for  himself.  It  was  a  time  of  re- 
ligious enthusiasm,  and  Joseph  became  greatly  interested  in 
matters  of  religion.  He  began  to  inquire  relative  to  the  sal- 
vation of  his  soul.  In  this  condition  of  mind  he  attended  a 
joint  sectarian  revival,  held  by  Methodists,  Baptists,  Presbyte- 
rians, etc.  He  listened  attentively,  with  a  prayerful  heart, 
the  inclination  to  criticise  being  farthest  from  his  thoughts. 
During  the  proceedings  of  the  revival,  he  became  keenly  im- 
pressed with  two  great  facts.  One  was,  that  while  the  various 
sects  all  professed  Christ,  they  entertained  conflicting  views 
relative  to  the  doctrines  which  Jesus  and  His  Apostles  taught 
as  being  essential  to  salvation.  The  other  important  lesson 
he  learned  was,  that  the  ministers  of  the  denominations  repre- 
sented, were  jealous  and  envious  of  each  other  in  relation  to 
the  converts  which  came  forward  and  joined  the  respective 
churches  represented  on  that  occasion.  He  concluded  that  God 
was  not  the  author  of  this  confusion,  and  that  he  could  come 
to  no  certain  knowledge  of  the  truth  from  men  preaching  con- 
flicting theories,  yet  each  saying  of  his  own  denomination, 
"This  is  the  way,  follow  me." 

Under  these  circumstances  of  uncertainty,  Joseph  betook 
himself  to  a  careful  reading  of  the  Scriptures.  His  heart 
was  prayerful.  He  was  honest  to  God  and  man.  He  wanted 
to  know  the  truth.  He  knew,  as  'all  right  thinking  people 
must  know,  that  all  conflicting  creeds  could  not  be  acceptable 
to  God,  for  He  is  "not  the  author  of  confusion,"  but  of  peace 
and  perfect  order.  In  his  perusal  of  the  New  Testament,  he 
came  to  the  first  chapter  and  fifth  verse  of  James,  which  reads 
as  follows:  "If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom  let  him  ask  of  God, 
that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not,  and  it  shall 
be  given  him,"  etc. 

Joseph  was  deeply  impressed  with  this  sacred  promise.  He 
knew  that  he  lacked  wisdom.  He  could  not  obtain  that  wis- 
dom from  uninspired  men,  whose  theories  of  God  and  the 
plan  of  salvation  were  a  plain  contradiction  in  themselves. 
He  must,  therefore  remain  in  darkness  or  take  the  advice  of 
the  Apostle  James  and  ask  of  God.  He  determined  to  pursue 
the  latter  course.  The  following  account  of  the  exercise  of  his 
faith  is  in  his  own  language: 

"It  was  on  the  morning  of  a  beautiful,  clear  day,   early  in 


JOSEPH   SMITH. 


12  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

the  spring  of  1820.  It  was  the  first  time  in  my  life  that  1  had 
made  such  an  attempt,  for  amidst  all  my  anxieties  I  had  never 
as  yet  made  the  attempt  to  pray  vocally.  After  I  had  retired 
into  the  place  where  I  had  previously  designed  to  go,  having 
looked  around  me,  and  finding  myself  alone,  I  kneeled  down, 
and  began  to  offer  up  the  desires  of  my  heart  to  God.  I 
had  scarcely  done  so,  when  immediately  I  was  seized  upon  by 
some  power  which  entirely  overcame  me,  and  had  such  aston- 
ishing influence  over  me  as  to  bind  my  tongue  so  that  I  could 
not  speak.  Thick  darkness  gathered  around  me,  and  it  seemed 
to  me  for  a  time  as  if  I  were  doomed  to  sudden  destruction. 
But  exerting  all  my  powers  to  call  upon  God  to  deliver  me  out 
of  the  power  of  this  enemy  which  'had  seized  upon  me,  and  at 
the  very  moment  when  I  was  ready  to  sink  into  despair,  and 
abandon  myself  to  destruction,  not  to  an  imaginary  ruin,  but 
to  the  power  of  some  actual  being  from  the  unseen  world, 
who  had  such  a  marvelous  power  as  I  had  never  before  felt  in 
any  being.  Just  at  this  moment  of  great  alarm,  I  saw  a 
pillar  of  ligiit  exactly  over  my  head,  above  the  brightness  of  the 
sun,  which  descended  gradually  until  it  fell  upon  me.  It  no 
sooner  appeared  than  I  found  myself  delivered  from  the  enemy 
which  held  me  bound.  When  the  light  rested  upon  me,  I  saw 
two  personages,  whose  brightness  and  glory  defy  all  descrip- 
tion, standing  above  me  in  the  air.  One  of  them  spake  unto 
me,  calling  me  by  name,  and  said,  (pointing  to  the  other):  'This 
is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  Him.'  " — Pearl  of  Great  Price,  pages 
59  and  60. 

As  soon  as  Joseph  recovered  himself,  he  asked  the  personages 
which,  of  all  the  denominations,  W7as  right.  The  answer  was 
that  none  of  them  were  right,  and  none  of  them  had  been 
founded  by  the  Almighty.  He  was  commanded  to  join  none 
of  them.  "They  teach  for  doctrine  the  commandments  of  men, 
having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the  power  thereof." 

This  was  his  first  vision,  and  oh,  how  glorious !  Af  cer  cen- 
turies of  spiritual  darkness,  the  heavens  are  again  opened, 
the  Father  and  the  Son  make  their  appearance  and  give 
commandments  unto  man.  Soon  after  this  glorious  vision  Jo- 
seph related  his  experience  to  a  preacher,  when,  to  his  great 
surprise,  the  professed  minister  treated  it  with  great  con- 
tempt, and  like  the  Pharisees  of  old,  said  it  was  all  of  the 


THE  PROPHET   JOSEPH    SMITH.  13 

devil.  But  Joseph  knew,  like  Paul,  that  he  had  seen  a  vision, 
and  he  knew  that  God  knew  it,  and  that  he  must  bear  witness 
of  it  to  the  world.  From  this  time  on,  the  youthful  Prophet 
became  the  subject  of  bitter  persecution.  Yet  he  wavered  not, 
but  faithfully  testified  that  he  had  seen  a  vision,  and  none  could 
truthfully  deny  it. 

God  has  a  right  to  show  Himself  to  whomsoever  and  when 
ever  He  pleases.  Furthermore,  Jesus  Himself  taught:  "And  no 
m>an  knoweth  who  the  Son  is,  but  the  Father;  and  who  the 
Father  is  but  the  Son.  and  he  to  whom  the  Son  will  reveal 
Him."  ("Luke  x:22. )  Instead  then  of  such  a  manifestation  bo- 
ing  unreasonable  or  unscriptural,  it  was  an  actual  necessity  in 
the  establishment  of  the  "Dispensation  of  the  Fullness  of 
Times."  Joseph  kept  the  commandment  to  join  none  of  the 
sects.  He  says:  ''I  continued  to  pursue  my  common  avocations 
in  life  until  the  21st  of  September,  1823,  all  the  time  suffering 
severe  persecution  at  the  hands  of  all  classes  of  men,  both  re- 
ligious and  irreligious,  because  I  continued  to  affirm  that  I  had 
seen  a  vision." — Pearl  of  Great  Price,  p.  61.  Those  who  should 
have  been  Ms  friends  if  they  believed  him  wrong,  instead  of 
trying  in  kindness  to  show  him  his  error,  ridiculed  him,  and 
without  reason  or  charity,  heaped  upon  him  persecution  in  va- 
rious forms. 

After  retiring  to  his  bed,  Sept.  21st,  1823,  Joseph  was  calling 
upon  God  in  all  humility  for  forgiveness  of  all  his  weaknesses 
and  imperfections,  when  suddenly  the  room  was  filled  with 
light,  and  in  the  light  appeared  a  most  glorious,  heavenly  being. 
This  personage  said  his  name  was  Moroni,  and  that  he  was 
sent  of  God.  The  messenger  proceeded  to  inform  the  young 
man  that  he  was  chosen  of  God  to  accomplish  a  great  work  in 
the  interest  of  human  redemption,  and  that  his  name  should 
be  had  for  good  and  for  evil  among  all  nations.  This  prophecy 
has  been,  and  is  being,  remarkably  fulfilled  wherever  the  Gos- 
pel in  purity  is  preached,  and  the  name  of  Joseph  Smith  is 
known  among  the  nations.  His  name  is  cast  out  as  evil  among 
the  wicked — those  who  "love  darkness  rather  than  light ;"  who 
deny  the  revelations  of  God.  But  those  who  are  honestly  seek- 
ing for  truth,  and  investigating  the  calling  of  Joseph  Smith,  are 
always  led  to  hold  his  name  for  good,  and  hand  it  down  to  pos- 
terity as  the  name  of  a  great  Prophet  of  the  Most  High. 


14  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

The  messenger  quoted  many  passages  of  the  Bible  which  he 
said  would  be  fulfilled  in  this  dispensation,  among  them  Joel, 
chap,  ii  :28-29  ;  Mai.,  chap,  iii ;  Acts,  chap,  iii  :22-23  ;  Isaiah,  chap, 
ii,  and  said  they  were  about  to  be  fulfilled.  He  also  showed 
Joseph  where  a  book  was  deposited  in  a  bill  near  by.  It  was 
written  upon  gold  plates,  and  gave  an  account  of  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  America,  their  origin  and  destiny.  It  recorded 
the  fact  that  the  Church  of  Christ  had  been  established  among 
them,  and  that  before  and  after  Christ,  many  mighty  Prophets 
wrote  and  spoke  upon  this  continent.  Indeed  the  ancients  of 
America  were  they  of  whom  Jesus  spoke  to  the  Jewish  Apostles 
when  He  said,  "Other  sheep  I  have  which  are  not  of  this 
fold;  them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice; 
and  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one  Shepherd."  St.  John  x  :1F». 

The  angel  Moroni  appeared  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  three 
times  the  same  night,  repeating  each  of  his  preceding  instruc- 
tions, and  adding  to  them,  thus  preparing  the  mind  of  the 
youthful  Prophet  for  the  great  work  before  him.  These  visions 
occupied  almost  the  entire  night. 

On  September  22,  1823,  Joseph  visited  tihe  hill  where  the 
plates  were  deposited,  and  at  once  recognized  the  place  as  the 
one  shown  him  in  vision  the  night  before.  He  says:  "On 
the  west  side  of  the  hill,  not  far  from  the  top,  under  a  stone 
of  considerable  size,  lay  the  plates  deposited  in  a  stone  box. 
The  stone  was  thick  and  rounding  in  the  middle  on  the  upper 
side,  and  thinner  toward  the  edges,  so  that  the  middle  part  of 
it  was  visible  above  the  ground,  but  the  edge  all  round  was 
covered  with  earth.  -Having  removed  the  earth  and  obtained 
a  lever,  which  I  got  fixed  under  the  edge  of  the  stone,  and  with 
a  little  exertion  raised  it  up,  I  looked  in,  and  there  indeed,  did 
I  behold  the  plates,  the  Urim  and  Thummim,  and  the  breast- 
plate, as  stated  by  the  messenger.  The  box  in  which  they  lay 
was  formed  by  laying  stones  together  in  some  kind  of  cement. 
In  the  bottom  of  the  box  were  laid  two  stones  crossways  of  the 
box,  and  on  these  stones  lay  the  plates  and  the  things  with 
them."  I  made  an  attempt  to  take  them  out,  but  was  forbidden 
by  the  messenger,  and  was  again  informed  that  the  time  for 
bringing  them  forth  had  not  yet  arrived,  neither  would  it  arrive 
until  four  years  from  that  time;  but  he  told  me  that  I  should 
come  to  that  place  precisely  in  one  year  from  that  time,  and 


THE   PROPHET  JOSEPH   SMITH.  15 

that  I  should  continue  to  do  so,  until  the  time  should  come  for 
obtaining  the  plates." — Pearl  of  Great  Price,  p.  66. 

The  Prophet  obeyed  this  injunction,  and  each  successive  year, 
on  Sept.  22nd,  met  the  angel  Moroni  on  the  sacred  spot,  and 
received  from  him  many  preparatory  instructions.  The  angel 
had  told  him  previously  that  because  of  his  indigent  circum- 
stances, he  might  be  tempted  to  obtain  the  plates  for  worldly 
gain,  but  if  he  entertained  such  a  thought  he  could  not  have 
them.  They  were  to  be  published  to  all  the  world  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  human  family  and  the  glory  of  God.  In  the 
meantime,  Joseph  and  family  being  poor,  he  was  obliged  to 
work  with  his  hands  at  daily  toil  for  a  livelihood.  He  was 
engaged  by  a  Mr.  Stoal,  of  Chenango  county,  New  York,  to  la- 
bor with  other  employes  to  develop  a  silver  mine.  From  this  cir- 
cumstance arose  the  silly  story  that  Joseph  was  a  "money 
digger."  During  his  employment  by  Mr.  Stoal,  Emma  Hale, 
daughter  of  Isaac  Hale,  was  married  to  Joseph  on  Jan. 
IS,  1827.  On  Sept.  22nd,  1827,  he  received  the  sacred  plates 
from  which  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  translated.  The  reader 
will  find  evidence  that  such  a  record  was  to  come  forth  by 
reading  the  Eighty-fifth  Psalm,  eleventh  verse;  Isa.  chap,  xxix: 
9-12;  and  Ezekiel  chap.  xxxvii:15-21.  No  sooner  had  it  become 
known  that  he  had  received  these  plates  than  persecution  be- 
came more  intense.  Several  attempts  were  made  to  wrest 
them  from  him. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1829,  Oliver  Cowdery  came  to  Joseph 
Smith,  having  been  led  to  him  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  This 
was  their  first  meeting.  On  April  17,  1829,  Joseph  Smith  com- 
menced the  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  into  the  Eng- 
lish language.  Oliver  Cowdery  acted  as  scribe.  Joseph  trans- 
lated by  the  gift  and  power  of  God,  using  the  Urim  and  Thum- 
mim,  an  instrument  used  by  ancient  seers  to  translate  lan- 
guages. The  following  month,  while  translating  the  plates, 
Joseph  and  Oliver  found  mentioned  the  doctrine  of  baptism  for 
the  remission  of  sins.  They  retired  to  the  woods  to  inquire  of 
the  Lord  respecting  this  subject,  when  a  messenger  from  heaven 
appeared  to  them,  laid  his  hands  upon  them  and  ordained 
them  as  follows  (May  15,  1829)  :  "Upon  you,  my  fellow-serv- 
ants, in  the  name  of  Messiah,  I  confer  the  Priesthood  of  Aaron, 
which  holds  the  keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels,  and  the 


16  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Gospel  of  reprntance,  and  baptism  by  immersion  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins;  and  this  shall  never  be  taken  again  from  the 
earth  until  the  sons  of  Levi  do  offer  again  an  offering  unto 
the  Lord  in  righteousness." — Pearl  of  Great  Price,  p.  I'O. 

This  messenger  was  John  the  Baptist,  the  forerunner  of  the 
Messiah  in  ancient  times,  the  messenger  before  His  face  in 
latter  times.  Read  Malachi,  chap,  iii  :l-4.  He  was  the  man  who 
held  the  keys  of  the  Levitical  Priesthood,  the  authority  to  ad- 
minister in  the  outward  ordinances  of  the  Gospel.  He  com- 
manded them  to  baptize  each  other,  and  thus  was  established, 
in  the  last  days,  the  authority  of  God  upon  the  earth  to  bap- 
tize in  water  for  the  remission  of  sins. 

The  Prophet  Joseph  subsequently  moved  to  Pennsylvania 
and  continued,  as  circumstances  would  permit,  the  transla- 
tion of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  until  it  was  completed.  The  first 
edition,  consisting  of  five  thousand  copies,  was  published  to 
the  world  early  in  the  year  1830.  Since  then  the  Book 
of  Mormon  has  been  published  in  Danish,  Italian,  French, 
German,  Welsh,  Swedish,  Hawaiian  and  Spanish,  and  trans- 
lated into  other  tongues,  but  not  yet  printed.  The  -progress 
in  publishing  this  sacred  volume  in  different  tongues,  points 
to  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy  that  it  should  be  read  by 
the  people  of  every  nation.  During  the  translation  Joseph 
was  assisted  by  Oliver  Cowdery,  Martin  Harris,  David 
Whitmer,  his  wife,  Emma  Smith,  and  others.  While  engaged 
in  the  work  of  translation,  many  important  revelations  were 
given  to  the  Prophet,  and  many  important,  yet  trying  events, 
took  place  which  served  to  test  the  faith,  sincerity,  devotion, 
courage  and  integrity  of  this  youthful  Prophet  of  God.  All 
these  manifestations  and  the  grea/t  work  accomplished  up  to 
1830,  took  place  before  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age.  In 
the  meantime,  himself  and  Oliver  Cowdery  had  been  visited  by 
Peter,  James  and  John,  and  received  under  their  hands  the 
Melchisedek  Priesthood,  which  holds  the  keys  to  open  the  door 
of  the  Gospel  to  all  nations  and  establish  in  fullness  the  Church 
and  kingdom  of  God  upon  the  earth. 

Before  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  translated,  Martin  Harris 
took  some  characters  copied  from  the  plates  to  Prof.  Anthon, 
a  learned  linguist  in  New  York.  The  learned  man  examined 
the  characters  and  gave  a  certificate  to  Martin  Harris,  certify- 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH    SMITH.  17 

ing  that  they  were  correct  characters  from  the  Egyptian,  and 
that  the  translation  was  correct.  He  asked  Mr.  Harris  where 
Joseph  obtained  the  plates.  Upon  being  answered  that  an 
angel  of  the  Lord  delivered  them,  Prof.  Anthon  asked  for  the 
certificate  which  was  handed  him  by  Mr.  Harris.  Prof.  An- 
thon tore  it  up  in  anger,  as  he  denounced  the  ministering  of 
angels  in  this  age  of  the  world.  He  told  Mr.  Harris  to  bring 
him  the  book  and  he  would  translate  it.  He  was  answered 
that  part  of  the  plates  were  sealed.  Upon  receiving  this  infor- 
mation the  professor  answered,  "I  cannot  read  a  sealed  book.'5 
Little  did  he  think  that  in  using  these  words  he  was  fulfilling 
the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  chap,  xxix,  and  thus  presenting  to  the 
world  a  testimony  of  the  truth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  From 
Prof.  Anthon  Mr.  Harris  went  to  Dr.  Mitchell,  who  also  pro- 
nounced the  characters  true  and  the  translation  correct. 

While  translating,  it  was  ascertained  that  three  especial  wit- 
nesses were  to  be  called  by  the  Lord  to  witness  the  plates  by 
the  gift  and  power  of  God.  Accordingly,  Oliver  Cowdery, 
David  Whitmer  and  Martin  Harris  were  chosen.  They  were 
shown  the  plates  by  the  same  heavenly  messenger,  Moroni,  and 
they  handled  them  with  their  hands.  Their  testimony,  ex- 
pressed in  most  solemn  terms,  is  published  to  the  world  on 
the  fly  leaf  of  each  edition  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Notwith- 
standing that  these  three  men  fell  away  from  the  Church 
through  transgression  or  neglect,  they  never,  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, denied  their  solemn  testimony  of  the  divine  authen- 
ticity of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  On  the  contrary,  they  re- 
peated their  testimony  time  and  again,  and  in  their  dying 
hours,  when  soon  to  pass  to  the  great  beyond,  they  bore  witness 
that  they  had  seen  an  angel  and  the  plates  from  which  the 
Book  of  Mormon  was  translated.  . 

In  the  spring  of  1882,  the  writer  of  this  letter,  in  company 
with  President  John  Morgan,  visited  David  Whitmer  at  his 
home  in  Richmond,  Mo.,  and  found  him  firm  and  unflinching 
respecting  his  published  testimony  concerning  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  As  showing  how  firmly  riveted  upon  his  memory 
and  how  constant  to  this  testimony  this  man  was,  an  interest- 
ing incident  is  related  by  President  Ben  E.  Rich,  of  the 
Southern  States  Mission.  Elder  Rich  mailed  his  autograph 
album  to  David  Whitmer  and  requested  him  to  write  therein. 


18  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

without  the  slightest  suggestion  as  to  what  he  should  write. 
To  the  joyful  astonishment  of  Elder  Rich,  when  the  album  was 
returned,  it  contained  these  emphatic  words : 

"My  testimony  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  Truth." 

"DAVID  W'HITMER." 

His  associate  witnesses,  Oliver  Cowdery  and  Martin  Harris, 
were  equally  constant  to  their  obligation,  and  bore  witness 
to  the  end  of  their  days  that,  they  saw  an  augel  and  the  plates. 
"In  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  shall  every  word  be 
established." 

On  Tuesday,  the  6th  day  of  April,  1830,  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  L/atter-day  Saints  was  organized  with  six  members 
in  the  house  of  Peter  Whitmer,  Sr.,  Fayette,  Seneca  county, 
New  York.  The  six  members  were  Joseph  Smith,  Oliver  Cow- 
dery,  Hyrum  Smith,  Peter  Whitmer,  Jr.,  Samuel  H.  Smith 
and  David  Whitmer.  No  church  organization  could  exist  under 
the  laws  of  New  York  with  a  less  membership  than  six. 
Joseph  Smith  was  the  chosen  head,  the  Prophet,  Seer  and 
Revelator,  and  continued  so  when  membership  increased  so 
that  the  Presidency  and  Twelve  Apostles  could  be  organized 
as  in  olden  times,  and  subsequently  Seventies,  High  Priests, 
Elders,  Bishops,  Priests,  Teachers  and  Deacons,  after  the  an- 
cient pattern. 

The  organization  of  the  Church  brought  with  it  more  per- 
secution, and  as  it  grew  and  prospered,  Joseph's  life  was 
many  time.s  endangered  before  it  was  finally  taken.  Healing 
the  sick,  prophecy,  speaking  in  tongues,  and  all  the  beautiful 
gifts  in  the  primitive  Church,  attended  those  who  embraced 
the  restored  Gospel  then,  as  they  do  today,  and  always  will, 
and,  as  in  ancient  times,  were  attributed  to  Beelzebub,  the 
prince  of  devils.  On  one  occasion,  soon  after  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Church,  a  mob  swore  out  a  complaint  against 
the  Prophet,  charging  him  with  being  a  disorderly  person, 
because,  as  alleged,  he  set  the  country  in  an  uproar  by 
preaching  the  Book  of  Mormon,  working  miracles,  etc.  The 
constable  who  served  the  warrant,  was  honest  enough  to  inform 
Joseph  that  the  mob  designed  to  capture  him  when  the  constable, 
with  the  prisoner,  should  pass  near  where  the  mob  was  con- 
gregated. The  constable,  however,  finding  the  Prophet  to 
be  an  honest,  upright  man,  fled  with  him  in  his  wagon,  so  that 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH   SMITH.  19 

the  mob  failed  to  secure  their  victim.  Joseph  underwent  a  trial 
and  was  honorably  acquitted,  the  evidence  showing  that  he  was 
a  peaceable,  orderly  citizen  in  all  respects. 

As  it  would  be  impossible,  in  a  brief  article,  to  give  in  any 
detail  an  account  of  the  mobbings,  trials  and  persecutions 
through  which  this  great  man  of  God  passed,  it  may  be  well 
to  here  remark,  that  no  less  than  thirty-nine  times  was  he 
brought  before  courts  on  trumped-up  charges,  tried,  and  each 
time  honorably  acquitted,  but  still  threatened.  How  like  the 
experience  of  our  Savior !  When  Pilate  found  Him  innocent, 
the  rabble  clamored  for  His  blood,  crying  out,  "Crucify  Him, 
crucify  Him,  and  let  His  blood  be  upon  us  and  our  children !" 
How  terribly  their  words  have  fallen  upon  them.  And  in  like 
manner  the  men  who  comprised  the  mob,  and  the  conspirators 
who  brought  about  the  assassination  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  have  come  to  a  miserable  end,  having  suffered  the  wrath 
of  God  in  the  flesh. 

At  a  conference  of  the  Church,  Sept.  1,  2  and  3,  1830,  Joseph 
received  two  revelations,  found  in  Section  30  and  31,  Doctrine 
and  Covenants.  In  one  of  these  revelations,  the  Lord  com- 
manded the  Prophet  to  open  the  door  of  the  Gospel  to  the 
Lamanites  or  American  Indians,  of  whose  forefathers  the 
Book  of  Mormon  is  a  record.  The  brethren  selected  to  perform 
this  great  and  important  mission  were,  Oliver  Cowdery,  Par- 
ley P.  Pratt,  Peter  Whitnier,  Jr.,  and  Ziba  Peterson.  Previous 
to  Eider  Pratt's  conversion  to  the  Gospel,  he  was  a  Campbell- 
ite  preacher,  associated  with  Sidney  Rigdon  and  others  who 
had  established  a  large  following  in  and  about  Kirtland,  Ohio. 
En  route  to  the  west,  where  they  were  destined  to  deliver  the 
glorious  message  to  the  Indians,  they  visited  Kirtland,  and 
presented  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  the  mission  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  to  Sidney  .Rigdon  and  his  associates  of  the  Campbellite 
profession.  Sidney  Rigdon  had  never  seen  the  Prophet  Jo- 
seph Smith,  and  never  before  heard  the  proclamation  of  "Mor- 
monism."  This  fact  is  worthy  of  note,  since  the  enemies  of 
the  Saints  have  circulated  the  oft-repeated  falsehood  that  the 
Book  of  Mormon  was  the  combined  production  of  Joseph  Smith 
and  Sidney  Rigdon.  It  is  also  an  interesting  fact  that  the 
Prophet  predicted  in  the  early  opening  of  this  dispensation, 
that  if  the  people  would  not  receive  the  revelations  from  God 


20  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

through  him,  then  Lucifer  would  give  them  revelations  to  their 
heart's  content.  Strange  to  say  what  is  now  known  as  Spir- 
itualism, was  not  known  in  the  United  States  until  after  the 
organization  of  this  Church,  and  then  it  commenced  in  the 
state  of  New  York.  Today  the  spurious  revelations  of  the  ad- 
versary are  circulated  broadcast  through  clairvoyants,  medi- 
ums, etc.,  giving  no  light,  no  knowledge  of  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  eternal  life  as  enunciated  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Well  did  Isaiah  speak  of  these  days,  saying,  "And  when  they 
shall  say  unto  you,  Seek  unto  them  that  have  familiar  spirits, 
and  unto  wizards  that  peep,  and  that  mutter :  should  not  a  peo- 
ple seek  unto  their  God?  for  the  living  to  the  dead?"  Isa.  viii  :19. 
In  1831  the  Prophet  removed  to  Kirtland,  Ohio,  which  had 
now  become  the  headquarters  of  the  Church.  On  the  6th  of 
June,  in  that  year,  the  fourth  general  conference  of  the  Church 
was  held  at  Kirtland.  The  Saints  numbered  about  two  thous- 
and at  that  date,  and  were  constantly  increasing.  At  the  con- 
ference, many  Elders  were  called  by  revelation  to  go  forth,  two 
by  two,  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  baptize  as  the  Apostles  did  in 
ancient  times.  They  were  to  journey  westward,  preaching  and 
baptizing  by  the  way,  and  all  were  to  meet  in  Missouri,  where 
the  next  conference  should  be  held,  and  where,  if  they  were 
faithful,  the  Lord  would  reveal  to  the  Prophet  the  location  of 
their  promised  inheritance. 

Conforming  to  revelations  already  given,  Joseph  the  Prophet, 
accompanied  by  several  of  the  brethren,  left  Kirtland,  June 
19th,  1831,  on  his  first  visit  to  Missouri.  He  reached  Inde- 
pendence, Missouri,  July  15th,  meeting  the  Elders  who  had 
preceded  him.  Soon  after  Joseph's  arrival  at  Independence, 
the  location  of  the  city  of  Zion  was  made  known  to  him  by 
revelation.  Before  his  return  to  Kirtland,  in  August,  1831, 
the  foundation  of  the  new  city  of  Zion  had  been  laid  and  the 
site  dedicated  for  a  temple  of  the  Lord.  About  this  time,  a 
great  stream  of  emigration  started  to  the  practically  unexplored 
regions  of  the  west. 

Soon  after  Ms  return  to  Kirtland,  the  Prophet  Joseph  and 
Sidney  BJgdon  retired  to  the  quiet  town  of  Hiram,  Portage 
county,  Ohio,  where  they  engaged  in  translating  the  Bible. 
Besides  this  important  labor,  the  Prophet  was  active  in  the  min- 
istry. He  attended  several  conferences  and  was  busy  preach- 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH  SMITH.  21 

ing  the  Gospel  in  public  and  in  private.  Meantime  persecution 
did  not  abate,  but  was  in  active  operation  both  in  Missouri 
and  Ohio.  March  25th,  1832,  Joseph  Smith  and  Sidney  Rig- 
don  were  taken  by  a  mob  and  treated  in  a  most  brutal  manner. 
The  former  was  stripped,  covered  with  tar  and  cruelly  beaten, 
and  an  attempt  made  to  force  a  bottle  of  aqua  fortis  down  his 
throat.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  next  day  found  the  Prophet 
declaring  the  Gospel  to  a  public  congregation.  Sidney,  how- 
ever, was  delirious  for  several  days,  as  a  result  of  the  violent 
treatment  received  at  the  hands  of  the  mob. 

In  April,  1832,  Joseph  paid  a  second  visit  to  Missouri  and  was 
greatly  pained  to  learn  of  the  insults  and  injuries  being  heaped 
upon  the  Saints,  as  hostilities  had  already  begun  of  such  in 
tensity  and  bitterness,  as  to  soon  result  in  their  complete 
expulsion  from  Jackson  county.  After  administering  words  of 
comfort  and  instructing  the  Saints,  Joseph  returned  to  Ivirt- 
land  in  June.  Nov.  3,  1832,  the  Prophet's  oldest  son,  Joseph, 
was  born. 

On  Dec.  25th,  1832,  Joseph  Smith  received  the  revelation 
on  war,  pointing  out  the  great  rebellion,  which  occurred  twenty- 
eight  years  later.  During  the  winter  of  1832-33  Joseph,  by 
inspiration,  organized  what  is  known  as  the  School  of  the 
Prophets,  in  which  the  Elders  of  the  Church  were  instructed  and 
edified  in  .the  things  of  God.  Feb.  2,  1833,  the  Prophet  com- 
pleted the  translation  of  the  New  Testament.  July  23rd,  1833, 
under  commandment  from  the  L/ord,  the  Prophet  and  his  asso- 
ciates laid  the  foundation  corner  stones  of  a  Temple  of  the 
Lord,  the  first  in  this  dispensation. 

March  18,  1833,  the  presidency  of  the  Church  was  first  organ- 
ized in  this  generation.  It  consisted  of  Joseph  Smith,  president, 
Sidney  Rigdon,  first  counselor,  and  Frederick  G.  Williams, 
second  counselor.  On  Feb.  17,  1834,  the  High  Council  was 
organized  by  the  Prophet.  It  consisted  of  twelve  High  Priests, 
presided  over  by  the  Presidency  of  the  High  Priesthood.  This 
High  Council  is  a  pattern  of  all  High  Councils  in  the  Church, 
one  of  which  exists  in  every  stake  of  Zion,  presided  over  by 
the  Presidency  of  the  Stake. 

On  May  5th.  1834,  Joseph  Smith,  with  one  hundred  men, 
started  for  Missouri.  Their  number  was  increased  on  the  way 
to  two  hundred  five.  This  body  of  men  is  known  in  his- 


22  PROPHETS  AND    PATRIARCHS. 

tory  as  Zion's  Camp.  They  were  called  by  revelation.  The 
purpose  of  their  mission  was  to  carry  supplies  and  comfort 
to  the  grief-stricken,  mob-ridden  Saints  in  Missouri,  and  if 
possible,  to  influence  the  governor  to  restore  to,  and  protect  them 
in  their  rights  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  hard-earned  farms 
and  homes.  While  en  route,  "Zion's  Camp"  encountered  many 
hardships,  and  some  of  the  brethren,  like  Israel  of  old,  mur- 
mured against  the  Prophet  of  the  Lord.  Joseph  reproved  them 
for  their  evil  conduct,  and  prophesied  that  a  scourge  would 
come  upon  the  camp.  June  22,  1834,  cholera  broke  out  in  the 
camp ;  sixty-eight  were  attacked,  thirteen  died.  Thus  was 
the  word  of  the  Lord  through  Joseph  literally  fulfilled.  Arriv- 
ing in  Missouri,  they  organized  a  Stake,  and  returned  to  Kirt- 
land  July  9th,  1834. 

In  1835  Joseph,  who  had  a  strong  desire  for  education,  es- 
tablished a  school  in  Kirtland  and  engaged  Prof.  Leixas  to 
conduct  a  class  in  Greek.  Though  Joseph,  like  the  ancient 
Prophets  and  Apostles,  was  unlearned  when  first  called,  at  the 
age  of  thirty  he  had  acquired  a  marked  proficiency  in  language, 
philosophy  and  statesmanship.  This  desire  for  education  and 
great  efforts  to  promote  the  same,  have  characterized  the  au- 
thorities of  the  Church  from  that  day  until  the  present  time. 

On  the  return  of  Zion's  Camp  from  'Missouri,  the  work  on  the 
temple,  which  had  been  retarded,  was  now  prosecuted  with 
zeal  and  vigor  until  its  completion.  The  building  was  con- 
structed under  very  trying  circumstances.  Many  were  in  pov- 
erty. Persecution  was  in  progress.  The  building  cost  $70,000, 
and  was  supervised  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  in  addition 
to  all  his  other  duties  in  public  and  private,  at  home  and 
abroad.  It  was  three  years  in  course  of  construction  and  was 
the  first  temple  of  the  Lord  built  in  this  dispensation.  Since 
then  five  others,  more  expensive,  have  been  built  by  the  Lat- 
ter-day Saints,  and  others  will  be  erected  in  these  last  days  to 
the  honor  and  glory  of  God. 

This  temple  was  dedicated  March  27th,  1836.  The  occasion 
was  a  veritable  pentecostal  feast.  Many  enjoyed  the  gifts 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  prophesied  of  things  to  come.  Subse- 
quently the  Savior  appeared  to  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cow- 
dery,  also  Moses,  Elijah  and  other  ancient  Prophets  came 
in  their  order,  as  recorded  in  section  110  of  the  Doctrine 


THE    PROPHET  JOSEPH   SMITH.  23 

and  Covenants.  The  Apostles,  as  of  old,  were  endued  with 
power  from  on  high,  and  went  forth  to  the  world  with  renewed 
strength  declaring  the  glad  tidings  of  the  restored  Gospel.  Fol- 
lowing these  remarkable  manifestations,  a  wave  of  financial 
inflation  swept  over  Kirtland,  and  many  of  the  Saints  ran 
wild  in  speculations.  Many  of  the  leaders  became  infatuated 
with  the  false  spirit,  and  when  the  panic  of  1837  engulfed  the 
nation,  disaster  came  to  Kirtland.  Many  leading  men  apos- 
tatized, and  attributed  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  the  very 
evils  which  he  had  warned  them  against  and  sought  by  every 
means  in  his  power  to  avoid. 

The  Kirtland  Safety  Society  Bank  had  been  organized  by 
the  Prophet  Joseph,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Saints.  This  failed 
through  the  swindling  operations  of  subordinate  officers,  and 
many  of  the  people  were  financially  ruined.  Persecution  be- 
came violent.  Many  of  the  leading  men  became  bitter  ene- 
mies to  the  Prophet  of  the  Lord.  Jan.  12th,  1838,  Joseph 
Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon  were  forced  to  flee  from  Kirt- 
land, and  an  armed  mob  followed  them  for  two  hundred 
miles,  thirsting  for  their  blood.  Joseph  with  a  body  of 
the  Church,  was  now  established  in  Missouri,  the  Saints,  on 
account  of  persecution,  migrating  thither  from  Ohio.  The 
Saints  in  Missouri  numbered  about  12,000  souls,  and  having 
been  expelled  from  their  homes  in  Jackson  county  by  furious 
mobs,  were  located  in  Oaldwell,  Daviess  and  Carroll  counties, 
chiefly  in  Caldwell. 

In  the  midst  of  perilous  times,  and  being  continually  har- 
assed by  false  brethren,  the  life  of  the  Prophet  must  have 
been  a  trying  one.  Only  men  of  unswerving  integrity  could 
stand  the  chastening  fire  of  persecution,  and  many  fell  by  the 
wayside,  and  joined  in  the  cry  against  the  Prophet  and  the 
Saints.  Joseph  knew  that  the  Church  of  which  he  had  the 
honor  to  be  the  earthly  head,  was  the  Church  of  God,  and  that 
tho  Lord  would  preserve  it  to  the  end.  He  therefore  had  no 
need  to  pander  to  the  whims  of  men  in  order  to  retain  their 
friendship.  This  of  itself,  is  no  small  evidence  that  Joseph 
Smith  was  called  of  God.  If  he  had  been  palming  upon  the 
world  a  fraud,  he  would  have  feared  the  exposure  of  those 
who  became  disaffected,  and  would  have  used  politic  methods 
to  retain  their  good  will  for  him,  rather  than  apply  the  law  of 


24  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

justice  and  cast  them  out  of  the  Church.  The  example  of  Jo- 
seph Smith  in  dealing  with  apostates,  no  matter  how  high  in 
Church  authority  they  stood,  has  been  followed  by  his  suc- 
cessors until  the  present,  and  ever  will  be,  for  "God  is  no  re- 
spector  of  persons." 

In  Missouri,  Joseph  received  important  revelations  on  various 
items,  such  as  the  building  of  a  temple  at  Far  West,  the  law 
of  tithing,  the  mission  of  the  Apostles  abroad;  also  that  Amer- 
ica was  the  land  where  Adam  dwelt,  and  that  the  Garden  of 
Eden  was  where  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  now  is.  July  4th, 
1838,  the  Prophet  caused  to  be  laid  the  foundation  stones  of 
a  temple,  which,  however,  has  not  been  completed.  About  two 
days  after  the  Fourth  of  July  celebration  at  Far  West,  lightning 
struck  the  liberty  pole  and  shivered  it  to  pieces.  This  seemed 
to  be  a  warning  that  their  own  liberties  were  about  to  be 
stricken  down.  It  is  said  that  on  this  occasion,  Joseph  prophe- 
sied that  the  day  would  come,  when  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  would  hang  as  if  by  a  thread,  and  that  the  Latter- 
day  Saints  would  be  prominent  in  saving  that  instrument  from 
utter  destruction. 

Persecution  soon  reasserted  itself.  The  Latter-day  Saints 
in  Missouri  had  a  right  to  vote.  Twelve  of  them  attempted  to 
cast  their  votes  at  a  state  election  in  Gallatin,  Daviess  county, 
Aug.  6th,  1838.  A  candidate  for  the  legislature,  William  P. 
Penistou,  made  an  inflammatory  speech  against  them,  and 
raised  a  tumult,  in  which  several  of  the  Saints  and  their 
opponents  were  wounded.  The  report  of  this  riot  was  great- 
ly exaggerated  and  spread  throughout  the  State.  Mobocracy 
followed  in  various  places.  October  25th,  1838,  while  de- 
fending themselves  y  gainst  a  mob  on  Crooked  river,  Apostle 
David  W.  Patten  and  two  other  brethren,  Gideon  Carter  and 
Patrick  O'Bannion,  were  killed.  The  power  of  the  Saints,  even 
in  a  small  degree  to  defend  themselves,  exasperated  their  ene- 
mies, and  on  Oct.  27th,  MajVGen.  Clark  issued  an  order  to  the 
state  militia,  to  proceed  with  all  haste  against  the  Mormons  and 
drive  them  from  the  state  or  to  consummate  their  extermina- 
tion. Oct.  30th,  the  frightful  massacre  of  Haun's  Mill  occurred, 
when  about  twenty  of  the  Saints,  men,  women  and  children,  were 
killed  and  thrown  in  a  heap  into  a  well  and  buried. 

About  this  time,  Col.  Hinkle  betrayed  the  Prophet  and  sev- 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH   SMITH.  25 

eral  of  his  associates  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  by  forming 
a  compact  with  the  latter  to  give  up  the  arms  of  the  Saints 
without  the  knowledge  or  consent  of  Joseph  and  his  brethren. 
Oct.  31st,  Joseph  Smith,  Sidney  Rigdon,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  Ly- 
man  Wight,  George  W.  Robinson,  Hyrum  Smith  and  Amasa 
M.  Lyman  were  taken  and  treated  as  prisoners  of  war.  The 
city  was  given  into  the  hands  of  mauraders,  who  pillaged  the 
houses  and  grossly  insulted  defenseless  women  and  children. 
Joseph  and  his  brethren  were  courtrnartialed,  and  ordered  to 
be  shot,  but  Gen.  Doniphan,  of  the  state  militia,  protested 
against  it  as  cold-blooded  murder.  Notwithstanding  Gen. 
Clark  had  told  the  Saints  that  they  must  never  expect  to  see 
their  leaders  again,  Joseph  prophesied  to  his  associates  that 
their  lives  would  be  spared  and  they  would  return  to  the  Saints, 
which  prediction  was  literally  fulfilled.  The  prisoners  were 
paraded  through  the  country  with  boastful  glee  on  the  part  of 
their  captors. 

On  one  occasion  Joseph  addressed  a  crowd  of  spectators, 
many  of  whom  were  melted  to  tears.  It  became  a  settled  con- 
viction with  his  enemies,  that  if  they  allowed  the  Prophet  to 
address  the  public,  he  would  never  fail  to  make  friends  and 
impress  the  honest  that  he  was  innocent.  So,  to  avoid  this 
impression,  the  mob,  or  officers,  who  subsequently  had  him  in 
custody,  would  try  to  prevent  him  from  speaking  to  the  peo- 
ple. Joseph  and  some  of  the  brethren  were  confined  in  Liberty 
jail,  Clay  county ;  the  remainder  in  Richmond,  Ray  county. 
While  in  their  dungeon  cell,  they  were  subjected  to  the  taunts 
and  insults  of  guards  and  officers.  One  night,  after  bearing 
all  he  could  possibly  endure  of  their  filthy  conversation,  he 
arose  in  chains,  and  with  a  voice  of  thunder  rebuked  the  guards 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  They  cowered  before  him  and  asked 
his  pardon.  So  great  was  the  power  of  God,  they  wilted  before 
Joseph  as  a  blade  of  grass  before  a  flame  of  fire. 

Parley  P.  Pratt  thus  describes  this  scene  commencing  with  the 
words  of  the  Prophet  to  the  guards :  "Silence,  ye  fiends  of  the 
infernal  pit.  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  I  rebuke  you,  and 
command  you  to  be  still :  I  will  not  live  another  minute  and  htiar 
such  language.  Cease  such  talk,  or  you  or  I  die  this  instant!' 
He  ceased  to  speak.  He  stood  erect  in  terrible  majesty. 
Chained  and  without  a  weapon,  calm,  unruffled  and  dignified 


26  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

as  an  angel,  he  looked  upon  the  quailing  guards,  whose  weapons 
were  lowered  or  dropped  on  the  ground;  whose  knees  smote 
together,  and  who,  shrinking  into  a  corner,  or  crouching  at  his 
feet,  begged  his  pardon,  and  remained  quiet  till  a  change  of 
guards.  I  have  seen  the  ministers  of  justice,  clothed  in  mag- 
isterial robes,  and  criminals  arraigned  before  them,  while  life 
was  suspended  on  a  breath  in  the  courts  of  England;  I  have 
witnessed  a  congress  in  solemn  session  to  give  law  to  nations; 
I  have  tried  to  conceive  of  king,  of  royal  courts,  of  thrones 
and  crowns,  and  of  emperors  assembled  to  decide  the  fate  of 
kingdoms;  but  dignity  and  majesty  have  I  seen  but  once,  as  it 
stood  in  chains,  at  midnight,  in  a  dungeon,  in  an  obscure  vil- 
lage of  Missouri." — Autobiography  of  P.  P.  Pratt,  p  229-30. 

The  brethren  in  prison  were  charged  with  murder,  treason, 
arson  and  other  crimes,  all  of  which  they  were  acquitted. 
Joseph's  enemies  considered  one  evidence  of  treason  was,  the 
belief  the  Prophet  and  his  associates  had  in  the  prophecy  of 
Daniel,  that  God  in  the  last  days  would  set  up  His  kingdom 
which  should  "subdue  all  others."  They  were  tried  in  the 
court  of  Judge  A.  A.  King.  Gen.  Doniphan,  the  attorney  for 
Joseph,  told  him  to  "offer  no  defense,  for  if  a  cohort  of  angels 
should  declare  your  innocence,  it  would  be  all  the  same.  The 
judge  is  determined  to  throw  you  into  prison." 

While  in  prison,  Joseph  received  from  the  Lord  the  glorious 
revelations  and  instructions  found  in  sections  121,  122  and  123 
of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  Mobocracy  continued.  Gov. 
Boggs  issued  his  infamous  order  to  exterminate  the  "Mor- 
mons" or  drive  them  from  the  state.  Joseph  cheered  the 
Saints  from  his  prison  cell.  He  wrote:  "Zion  shall  yet  live 
though  she  seemeth  to  be  dead." 

While  Joseph  was  in  prison,  Brigham  Young,  President  of  the 
Twelve,  planned  and  carried  into  effect  the  gathering  of  the 
Saints  from  Missouri  to  Illinois.  He  and  his  brethren  made 
a  solemn  covenant  that  they  would  never  cease  their  efforts 
until  the  Saints  were  gathered  from  Missouri.  They  kept  their 
pledge.  It  was  a  gigantic  undertaking.  Ten  thousand  Saints, 
homeless  and  almost  penniless,  compelled  to  sign  away  their 
property  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  were  to  be  gathered,  or- 
ganized in  suitable  companies,  with -proper  arrangements  and 
remove  to  another  state,  where  they  hoped  for  better  treat- 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH   SMITH.  27 

ment.  The  exodus  was  carried  out.  Early  in  1839  found  the 
Saints  in  Iowa  and  Illinois.  Thus  was  another  prophetic  ut- 
terance finding  fulfillment. 

Joseph  Smith  once  said  that  the  Saints  would  have  first  a 
county,  then  a  state,  and  finally  a  nation  against  them.  The 
literal  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy  is  strikingly  apparent  to 
those  who  know  anything  of  the  history  of  the  Church.  The 
Saints  were  driven  from  Kirtlanu,  Ohio,  from  county  after 
county  in  Missouri,  and  then  from  the  state  of  Missouri  in 
which  Gov.  Boggs,  the  chief  executive  officer,  took  part  by 
issuing  the  infamous  "exterminating  order,"  virtually  licensing 
the  wholesale  pillaging  and  murder  of  hundreds  of  innocent 
men,  women  and  children.  Later  we  see  tne  United  States 
government  sending  an  army  against  the  Saints  to  crusli  an 
imaginary  rebellion,  and  later  still,  as  if  to  emphasue  the  words 
of  the  Prophet,  we  behold  the  great  government  under  which 
we  live,  confiscate  the  property  of  the  Church,  and  there  ap- 
pears on  the  supreme  court  calendar,  the  case  of  ttuj  "United 
States  of  America  vs.  Church  of  Jesus  Cnrist  of  matter-day 
Saints."  Surely  no  prophecy  could  more  literally  come  true 
— yea,  it  has  been  doubly  fulfilled — than  that  relating  to  the 
nation  being  against  the  Church. 

April  22,  1839,  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith  joined  their  families 
at  Quincy,  111.,  having  escaped  imprisonment  a  short  time 
previous.  Soon  after  this,  Commerce,  afterwards  named  Nau- 
voo,  by  the  Prophet,  was  selected  as  a  location  for  the  Saints. 
It  was  a  beautiful  site,  being  encircled  on  three  sides  by  a 
curve  in  the  Mississippi  river.  The  place  was  sickly  and 
many  became  prostrated  with  fever.  It  was  on  this  occasion 
that  miraculous  cases  of  healing  occurred  through  the  admin- 
istration of  the  Prophet.  He  went  from  house  to  house,  com- 
manded the  sick  to  arise  and  walk,  and  his  words  were  fol- 
lowed by  instant  healing. 

The  Twelve  had  been  called  on  missions  to  Europe,  and  were 
commanded  to  take  their  departure  from  the  temple  grounds 
in  Far  West,  April  26,  1839.  Capt.  Bogart,  a  leading  mobo- 
crat,  heard  of  the  prophecy  and  swore  that  it  should  never  be 
fulfilled.  On  the  day  named,  however,  at  1  a.  m.,  the  Twelve 
met  at  the  place  appointed,  held  a  conference,  ordained  Wilford 
Woodruff  and  George  A.  Smith  to  the  Apostleship,  and  departed 


23  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

on  their  mission,  in  fulfillment  of  the  word  of  the  Lord  through 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  And  here  let  it  be  said,  that  no 
prediction  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  shall  ever  fall  to  the 
ground  unfulfilled. 

Many  converts  were  made  in  England,  and  in  1840,  the  first 
company  of  Saints  from  the  shores  of  Europe  came  to  Nauvoo. 
Joseph  was  diligent  in  helping  the  Saints  to  found  themselves 
in  the  new  city.  Having  a  little  respite  from  persecution, 
himself  and  Judge  Elias  Higbee  went  to  Washington  and  laid 
before  the  President,  Martin  Van  Buren.  a  detailed  statement, 
with  proof,  of  the  outrages  committed  against  the  Saints  in 
Missouri.  At  first  the  President  was  averse  to  hearing  them, 
then  expressed  sympathy,  and  listened,  as  well  as  inviting  the 
Prophet  to  explain  his  views  of  the  Gospel,  which  he  did.  At 
a  later  visit,  the  President  showed  signs  of  political  cowardice, 
and  after  listening  impatiently  to  the  recital  of  their  suffer- 
ings, he  made  the  reply,  previously  quoted  in  part :  "Your  cause 
is  just,  but  I  can  do  nothing  for  you ;  and  if  I  take  up  for  you  I 
shall  lose  the  vote  of  Missouri."  The  Prophet  concluded 
promptly  that  President  Van  Buren  was  an  "office-seeker ;  that 
self-aggrandizement  was  his  ruling  passion,  and  that  justice  and 
righteousness  were  no  part  of  his  composition." 

Joseph  remained  in  the  east  during  the  winter,  making  the 
acquaintance  of  leading  political  men  of  the  nation.  He  re- 
cited to  several  the  sufferings  of  the  Saints.  To  this  recital 
John  C.  Calhoun  said:  "It  involves  a  nice  question — the  ques- 
tion of  state's  rights;  it  will  not  do  to  agitate  it."  Henry  Clay 
said:  "You  had  better  go  to  Oregon."  Such  answers  were 
too  inconsistent  and  unreasonable ;  too  cowardly,  to  afford  any 
hope  of  redress  from  the  hands  of  the  men  who  made  them. 
The  Prophet  returned  home  to  Nauvoo  March  4,  1840.  During 
his  absence  he  preached  the  Gospel  to  large  audiences  in  Wash- 
ington and  in  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania. 

Nauvoo  had  been  growing  under  the  direction  of  Hyrum 
Smith,  the  ever-faithful  brother  to  the  Prophet.  The  popula- 
tion numbered  near  three  thousand  and  contained  three  ec- 
clesiastical wards.  The  Latter-day  Saints  again  asserted  their 
political  rights,  and  with  this  came  persecution  as  bitter  as 
heretofore.  Gov.  Boggs,  of  'Missouri,  demanded  of  Gov.  Car- 
lin.  of  Illinois,  the  arrest  of  the  Prophet  on  the  ground  of  his 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH   SMITH.  29 

being  a  fugitive  from  justice.  The  demand  was  rejected,  but 
this  only  exasperated  the  Missourians,  who  subsequently  took 
an  active  part  in  persecuting  the  Prophet  and  his  associates. 
In  the  winter  of  1840-41,  the  Illinois  legislature  granted  a  very 
liberal  charter  to  the  city  of  Nauvoo.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  a 
member  of  the  legislature  which  granted  it.  It  included  the 
establishment  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion,  a  military  body,  and  the 
University  of  Nauvoo.  Feb.  1,  1841,  it  went  into  effect,  and 
shortly  thereafter  Joseph  became  the  lieutenant-general  of  the 
Nauvoo  Legion. 

On  the  6th  of  April,  1841,  the  corner  stones  of  the  Nauvoo 
Temple  were  laid.  Joseph  called  upon  the  Saints  in  the  regions 
round  about  to  gather  into  Nauvoo  and  assist  in  the  erection 
of  this  sacred  edifice.  The  Saints  responded  with  great  energy 
to  this  call,  and  flocked  into  the  city  from  all  directions.  Nau- 
voo grew  with  almost  magic  speed.  Brigham  Young  and  the 
Twelve,  on  their  return  from  England,  greatly  aided  in  its 
growth.  The  population  before  the  Prophet's  martyrdom  had 
increased  to  20,000.  In  1842  prosperity  abounded  in  Nauvoo. 
This  year  the  Prophet  wrote  for  publication  an  account  of  the 
coming  forth  of  this  great  work.  This  included  the  Articles 
of  Faith  now  printed  upon  cards  and  distributed  by  the  Elders 
among  all  nations  where  the  Gospel  is  being  preached.  The 
Church  paper  was  edited  by  the  Prophet,  and  was  called  the 
Times  and  Seasons.  Through  this  medium  he  published  many 
profound  truths  which  the  Lord  had  revealed  to  him.  Many 
embraced  the  Gospel.  The  population  increased,  and  Nauvoo 
was  rapidly  becoming  a  city  of  importance. 

Notwithstanding  this  wonderful  growth,  and  the  peace  en- 
joyed, the  Spirit  of  prophecy,  ever  alive  in  this  great  Prophet, 
gave  him  premonitions  of  the  sore  tribulations  which  were 
soon  to  follow.  March  17,  1842,  Joseph  organized  the  Relief 
Society,  now  so  famed  in  the  Church  as  the  organization 
through  which  our  devoted  mothers  administer  so  much  com- 
fort and  help  to  the  poor,  the  sick  and  the  needy.  At  a  funeral 
sermon  preached  by  the  Prophet  April  9th,  1842,  Joseph  fore- 
shadowed his  own  death  by  saying,  that  he  had  now  no  prom- 
ise of  life  and  was  subject  to  death.  He  said  the  Lord  had 
promised  him  life  at  different  times  until  certain  things  should 


30 


PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 


be  accomplished.  "But  having  now  done  these  things,  I  have 
no  longer  any  lease  of  my  life.  I  am  as  liable  to  die  as  other 
men." 

In  1842  Joseph  uttered  the  following  remarkable  prophecy  in 
Montrose,  Iowa,  which  he  recorded  as  follows :  "I  prophesied 
that  the  Saints  would  continue  to  suffer  much  affliction, 
and  would  be  driven  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Many  would 
apostatize,  others  would  be  put  to  death  by  our  persecutors,  or 
lose  their  lives  in  consequence  of  exposure  and  disease;  and 
some  would  live  to  go  and  assist  in  making  settlements  and 
building  cities,  and  see  the  Saints  become  a  mighty  people  in 
the  midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains."  Every  provision  of  this 
prophecy  has  been  remarkably  fulfilled. 

Apostates  began  to  plot  the  destruction  of  Joseph's  life.  John 
C.  Bennett,  a  vile  man,  possessing  ability  without  character, 
but  whose  perfidy  was  not  detected  until  he  had  been  crowned 
with  honor  among  the  Saints,  had  rendered  valuable  service 
in  obtaining  the  Nauvoo  charter.  He  was  elected  mayor  of 
Nauvoo,  chosen  chancellor  of  the  university  and  major-general 
of  the  Legion.  He  planned  to  have  the  Prophet  Billed  in  a 
sham  battle  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion,  but  failed.  He  uttered 
many  falsehoods  against  the  Prophet,  both  to  shield  his  own 
iniquity  and  to  encompass  the  death  of  the  Prophet.  He  wrote 
a  vile  hook  against  Joseph  and  the  Saints,  made  up  of  gross 
misstatements.  This  greatly  increased  the  prejudices  against  the 
Prophet  among  the  thousands  who  did  not  wish  to  investigate 
and  know  the  truth.  Elders  were  sent  out  to  refute  these  slan- 
ders, and  accomplished  much  good  among  the  honest  at  heart. 
The  old  Missouri  hatred  was  still  kept  burning  in  that  state. 
Some  one  had  attempted,  it  was  claimed,  to  assassinate  Gov. 
Boggs  at  Independence.  It  was  falsely  laid  to  the  "Mormons." 
Gov.  Boggs  demanded  of  the  governor  of  Illinois  the  person  of 
Joseph  Smith  on  the  charge  of  his  being  an  accessory  to  the 
attempted  murder  before  the  crime.  He  and  O.  P.  Rockwell 
were  arrested  Aug.  8th,  1842,  but  discharged  after  a  hearing 
before  the  municipal  court  of  Nauvoo.  Other  attempts  were 
mnde  to  arrest  him  under  false  pretenses.  He  concluded  to 
go  into  hiding  for  a  short  time.  While  hidden,  he  wrote  the 
important  letters  to  the  Saints  on  the  redemption  of  the  dead, 
found  in  sections  127  and  128  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH   SMITH.  31 

Thomas  Ford  became  governor  of  Illinois  in  December,  1842. 
Joseph  applied  to  him  for  a  withdrawal  of  the  writs  issued 
against  him  by  Gov.  Carlin.  After  a  judicial  investigation 
this  was  done. 

In  February,  1843,  the  population  of  Nauvoo  was  again  aug- 
mented by  a  company  of  Saints  from  Europe,  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Elders  P.  P.  Pratt,  Lorenzo  Snow  and  Levi  Richards. 
In  June,  1843,  other  attempts  were  made  to  drag  the  Prophet 
back  to  Missouri.  Dr.  Bennett  was  the  chief  instigator  of  this 
scheme.  Politicians  stirred  up  strife  against  the  Saints,  and 
recommended  the  repeal  or  restriction  of  the  Nauvoo  charter. 
They  pretended  to  be  alarmed  at  the  increase  of  "Mormon" 
power.  Yet,  strange  to  say,  "Mormon"  power,  in  politics  or  re- 
ligion, has  never  been  wielded  to  deprive  or  restrict  any  human 
being  of  their  rights  in  the  least  degree.  "Mormons"  elected 
to  office  were  threatened  with  mobocracy  when  attempting  to 
qualify  at  the  county  seat,  Carthage.  Th^  anti-"Mormon" 
party  renewed  their  pledges  to  fight  the  "Mormons,"  and  the  mob 
began  to  burn  the  homes  and  property  of  the  Saints  in  outlying 
districts  of  Nauvoo.  When  the  governor  was  appealed  to  for 
protection,  his  answer  was  an  indication  of  his  cowardice  or 
his  sympathy  with  the  mob  element.  He  simply  told  the  Saints 
they  must  protect  themselves.  During  these  times  of  trouble 
Joseph  addressed  .letters  to  several  prominent  men  in  the  na- 
tion who  had  presidential  aspirations.  He  propounded  to  them 
this  question:  "What  will  be  your  rule  of  action  relative  to 
us  as  a  people,  should  fortune  favor  your  ascension  to  the  chief 
magistracy?"  Only  two  answered,  as  previously  showu, 
Henry  Clay  and  John  C.  Calhoun,  and  their  answers 
were  so  non  -  committal  or  evasive  that  Joseph  considered 
the  writers  cowardly,  or  lacking  in  moral  force.  Soon 
after,  strange  and  startling  as  it  sounded  then,  Joseph  Suiitb 
announced  himself  a  candidate  for  the  presidency  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  nominated  Jan.  29th,  1844,  and  duly  sustained 
at  a  state  convention  on  the  17th  of  the  following  May.  Soon 
after  this  he  published  his  views  in  plain  terms,  on  the  "Powers 
and  Policy  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States."  In  this 
document  he  defined  his  position  on  the  live  political  questions 
of  the  day.  He  favored  abolition  of  slavery,  the  slave  holders 
to  be  paid  for  their  slaves  by  the  general  government,  the 


32  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

money  to  bo  raised  by  reducing  the  salary  of  congressmen 
and  by  the  sale  of  public  lands;  the  abolition  of  imprisonment 
for  debt  and  for  all  crimes  but  murder;  work  on  public  enter- 
prises to  be  the  penalty  for  other  crimes,  and  to  make  the  pris- 
ons schools  of  learning;  the  investment  of  power  in  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  to  furnish  troops  for  the  suppression 
of  mobs;  the  extension  of  the  United  States  from  sea  to  sea, 
with  the  consent  of  the  Indians. 

Many  other  excellent  features  appeared  in  his  platform. 
If  his  position  on  the  slave  question  had  been  carried  out,  it 
would  have  saved  the  nation  a  million  lives,  preserved  thous- 
ands from  being  crippled,  and  protected  the  happy  homes  of  a 
million  people  from  widowhood,  averted  the  cries  of  more  than 
a  million  fatherless  children,  and  saved  to  the  nation  many 
millions  of  treasure  and  property  less  valuable  than  human 
life.  Joseph  prophesied  of  the  war  twenty-eight  years  before 
it  came,  and  that  it  should  result  in  the  death  and  misery  of 
many  souls.  That  Joseph  Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  God,  is  writ- 
ten in  letters  of  blood  and  by  the  tears  of  millions  who  suf- 
fered from  that  fratricidal  war.  The  Twelve  and  other  lead- 
ing Elders  went  to  the  eastern  states  to  promulgate  his  views. 
It  is  not  probable  for  a  moment,  that  the  Prophet  had  any 
faith  in  winning  the  presidential  election.  Neither  had  he 
aspirations  for  the  honors  of  men.  Other  considerations  were 
in  view.  His  people  had  been  traduced  and  misrepresented'. 
His  candidacy  furnished  an  opportunity  to  explain  his  views, 
to  enlighten  the  public  mind  respecting  the  Latter-day  Saints, 
and  to  leave  on  record,  propositions  to  the  nation  which,  if  ac- 
cepted, would  save  the  nation  life  and  treasure.  He  wrote  at 
that  time :  "I  feel  it  to  be  my  right  and  privilege  to  obtain  what 
influence  and  power  I  can  lawfully  in  the  United  States  for 
the  protection  of  injured  innocence;  and  if  I  lose  my  life  in  a 
good  cause,  I  am  willing  to  be  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  virtue, 
righteousness  and  truth,  in  maintaining  the  laws  and  constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States,  if  need  be,  for  the  general  good  of 
mankind." 

Joseph,  with  a  little  band  of  pioneers,  started  on  an  expedi- 
tion to  explore  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  find  a  resting  place 
for  the  Saints,  but  was  turned  back.  He  was  destined  to  seal 
his  testimony  with  his  blood.  On  July  12th,  1843,  Joseph  had 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH   SMITH.  33 

recorded  the  revelation  on  celestial  marriage,  found  in  section 
132,  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  In  the  spring  of  1844  the  situa- 
tion in  Nauvoo  became  very  bitter.  The  Laws,  Higbees  and 
Fosters  plotted  the  overthrow  of  the  Prophet.  William  Law 
was  his  counselor,  and  of  course  knew  of  Joseph  receiving  and 
privately  teaching  the  doctrine  of  plural  marriage.  He  had 
Joseph  arrested  on  a  charge  of  polygamy,  but  failed  to  obtain  a 
conviction.  The  apostates  then  started  a  newspaper  called  the 
Expositor,  through  which  they  circulated  the  basest  false- 
hoods imaginable,  and  thus  inflamed  still  more  intensely  the 
public  mind.  The  city  was  shocked  at  the  publication.  The 
city  council  was  called  together.  Joseph  Smith  was  the  mayor. 
The  Expositor  was  declared  a  nuisance  and  was  utterly  de- 
stroyed June  llth,  1844,  by  order  of  the  mayor.  The  proprie- 
tors left  the  city  and  immediately  planned  the  arrest  of  the 
Prophet  and  others  on  a  charge  of  riot.  The  latter  had  a 
hearing  and  were  acquitted.  The  mob  was  furious  and  gath- 
ered in  large  numbers  around  Nauvoo,  swearing  vengeance  on 
the  people  and  their  leaders.  Joseph,  as  mayor,  declared  the 
city  under  martial  law,  and  called  out  the  Legion  to  defend 
it.  The  governor,  hearing  of  this  and  being  weak  and  vacil- 
lating, went  at  the  head  of  the  militia  to  Nauvoo,  and  demand- 
ed that  the  Prophet  come  to  Carthage  for  trial  for  the  de- 
struction cf  the  Expositor,  and  that  martial  law  be  abolished 
in  Nauvoo.  His  orders  were  strictly  obeyed.  The  governoi 
pledged,  in  a  most  solemn  manner,  his  honor  and  the  faith  of 
the  state  that  the  prisoners  should  be  defended  against  mob 
violence,  and  should  have  a  fair  and  •  impartial  trial.  This 
pledge  was  repeated,  but  never  kept.  Undoubtedly  the  Prophet, 
felt  that  his  withdrawal  from  Nauvoo  would  be  a  safeguard 
for  the  Saints,  for  he  loved  them  more  than  life  itself.  He 
remarked  just  before  leaving  Nauvoo:  "I  am  going  like  a  lamb 
to  the  slaughter,  but  I  am  calm  as  a  summer  morning.  I  have 
a  conscience  void  of  offense  toward  God  and  toward  all  men. 
If  they  take  my  life  I  shall  die  an  innocent  man,  and  my  blood 
shall  cry  from  the  ground  for  vengeance,  and  it  shall  yet  be 
said  of  me,  'he  was  murdered  in  cold  blood.'  "  His  prophecy 
has  been  literally  fulfilled. 

The  Nauvoo  Legion  gave  up  their  arms  by  command  of  Gov. 
Ford,    who    again    promised    them    protection.    Joseph    Smith, 


34  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Hyrum  Smith,  John  Taylor  and  Willard  Richards  were  con- 
fined in  Carthage  jail,  and  on  the  fatal  27th  day  of  June,  1844, 
were  placed  in  an  upper  room  of  that  building.  About  5  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  an  armed  mob  of  the  state  militia,  assisted 
by  other  murderous  fiends  in  human  shape,  in  all  about  two 
hundred  strong,  burst  in  fury  upon  the  jail  and  murdered  in 
cold  blood,  the  Prophet  and  his  brother  Hyrum.  Elder  Taylor 
was  cruelly  wounded  with  four  bullets,  while  Elder  Richards 
escaped  unharmed.  While  this  inhuman  tragedy  was  being  en- 
acted, Gov.  Ford  was  in  Nauvoo,  haranguing  the  peaceful,  un- 
armed Saints  on  the  enormity  of  destroying  the  printing  press 
of  the  Expositor.  The  governor  undoubtedly  knew  the  inten- 
tion of  the  mob,  for  he  had  heard  their  threats  that  the  Prophet 
should  never  escape  alive.  A  day  or  two  before  his  martyr- 
dom, while  being  exhibited  among  the  militia,  as  if  he  were 
something  monstrous,  the  Prophet  asked  one  of  the  officers  if 
he  could  see  anything  bad  in  his  countenance.  The  officer  an- 
swered: "No,  Gen.  Smith,  but  I  cannot  see  what  is  in  your 
heart."  The  Prophet  promptly  retorted:  "But  I  can  see  what 
is  hi  your  heart,  and  if  you  are  suffered  to  shed  my  blood  you 
will  see  blood'shed  prevail  in  this  land  to  your  heart's  content." 
The  testament  of  this  great  and  last  dispensation  was  sealed 
by  the  blood  of  the  testator,  and  is  in  force  upon  all  the  world. 
When  we  review  the  life  of  Joseph  Smith,  we  are  compelled 
to  exclaim  :  In  the  hands  of  God  he  was  a  mighty  man  !  Next 
to  the  Savior,  Joseph  Smith  was  as  great  a  Prophet  as  ever 
lived.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  saw  God  the  Father  and  our 
Savior  Jesus  Christ.  He  beheld  them  face  to  face,  and  he 
heard  the  voice  of  each.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  saw  an 
angel  of  the  Lord  on  four  different  occasions.  He  saw  the 
ancient  records  of  the  people  of  God  on  the  Western  Hemis- 
phere. When  twenty-two  years  old  he  had  been  visited  by  the 
same  angel-Prophet  eight  different  times,  and  on  each  occa- 
sion instructed  by  him.  At  this  age  also  he  received  the  golden 
plates.  In  his  twenty-fourth  year  he  published  this  record 
to  the  world,  received  a  visitation  from  John  the  Baptist,  and 
obtained  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  under  his  hands.  At  the 
same  age  Peter,  James  and  John  came  and  laid  their  hands 
upon  his  head,  bestowing  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
which  they  had  received  from  the  Savior  over  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  before.  He  also  heard  the  voice  of  Michael. 


THE   PROPHET   JOSEPH  SMITH.  35 

In  his  twenty-fifth  year  he  organized  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  a 
work  so  great  that  it  will  yet  till  the  earth.  When  thirty-one 
years  old,  he  had  founded  and  builded  a  temple  to  the  Lord, 
and  in  it,  had  seen  the  Savior,  Moses,  Elijah  and  other 
ancient  Prophets  of  the  living  God.  He  selected  the  site  of 
four  temples  of  the  Lord,  saw  one  completed  and  another  well 
on  its  way  before  his  martyrdom.  Before  he  was  thirty-five 
years  of  age,  he  had  been  the  prime  mover  in  laying  the  foun- 
dation and  helping  to  build  several  important  towns  in  the  trav- 
els of  the  Saints.  At  thirty-seven  he  organized  a  militia,  of 
which  he  was  lieutenant-general ;  established  a  university  of 
learning;  set  on  foot  the  gathering  of  Israel,  and  previous  to 
this  and  before  his  assassination,  saw  thousands  gathered  from 
various  States  of  the  Union,  Canada  and  Great  Britain.  The 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  died  a  martyr  at  thirty-nine  years  of  age, 
having  received  in  his  life-time  over  one  hundred  twenty-five  rev- 
elations from  God,  which  he  caused  to  be  written,  besides  the 
volumes  of  unwritten  inspiration  which  found  their  expression 
in  prophecy,  healing  the  sick,  casting  out  devils,  interpreting 
tongues  and  translating  the  Scriptures  of  divine  truth.  His 
prophecies  are  many,  both  written  and  unwritten.  Many  have 
been  filled,  none  have  failed,  and  when  the  wheels  of  time 
shall  bring  the  remainder  due,  every  jot  and  tittle  shall  be  ful- 
filled, for  it  was  God  who  spake  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith.  He  loved  his  God,  his  religion,  his  country  and  all 
mankind.  For  them  he  lived  and  suffered;  for  them  he  died; 
and  future  generations,  when  the  cobwebs  of  sectarian  ignor- 
ance, bigotry  and  prejudice,  with  "the  refuge  of  lies"  shall 
have  been  swept  away,  will  do  him  justice,  and  acknowledge 
him  as  being  a  statesman,  a  philosopher,  a  philanthropist, 
a  colonizer,  an  educator,  a  pioneer,  and  indeed  a  migiity 
Prophet  of  the  living  God.  Well  did  Josiah  Quincy,  the  his- 
torian, a  uon-"Mormon,"  say  of  the  Prophet,  whom  he  visited 
at  Nauvoo  May  15th,  1844:  "It  is  by  no  means  improbable 
that  some  future  text  book,  for  the  use  of  generations 
yet  unborn,  will  contain  a  question  something  like  this : 
'What  historical  American  of  the  nineteenth  century  has 
exerted  the  most  powerful  influence  upon  the  destinies  of 
his  countrymen?'  and  it  is  by  no  means  impossible  that  the 
answer  to  that  interrogatory  may  be  thus  written:  'Joseph 
Smith,  the  Mormon  Prophet.'  " 


PATRIARCH  HYRUM  SMITH. 

This  great  and  good  man  was  born  at  Tunbridge,  Vermont, 
Feb.  9th,  1800.  He  was  an  elder  brother  of  the  Prophet,  Jo- 
seph Smith.  He  was  a  boy  with  a  prayerful  heart  and  later,  a 
man  of  God,  as  true  as  this  generation  or  any  other  has  pro- 
duced. Like  -the  rest  of  the  family,  he  was  inured  to  hard  labor, 
amid  circumstances  of  privation  with  little  opportunity  for  edu- 
cation. He  moved  with  his  father  and  family  to  Western  New 
York,  and  when  Joseph,  his  brother,  announced  his  visions  and 
revelations  to  his  father's  family,  Hyrum  at  once  received  his 
testimony  and  espoused  the  cause  with  Joseph,  becoming  to  him, 
probably,  the  nearest,  truest  and  best  friend  he  had  among 
men.  Not  that  scores  of  others  lacked  in  their  integrity  and 
love  for  the  Prophet,  for  many  would  gladly  have  died  for  him 
at  any  time,  but  Hyrum  was  a  brother  in  the  flesh,  and 
knew  Joseph  better  from  childhood  to  the  hour  of  their 
martyrdom  than  any  other  man  and,  consequently,  under  every 
circumstance,  was  better  qualified  to  sympathize  and  confer  a 
brother's  love  than  other  men.  At  the  age  of  twenty- six 
(Nov.  2,  1826),  Hyrum  married  Jerusha  Barden,  who  shared 
with  him  his  trials  the  remainder  of  her  life,  and  bore  to 
him  six  children,  Lovina,  Mary,  John,  Hyrum,  Jerusha  and 
Sarah.  Most  of  them  are  now  deceased,  but  his  son  John  has 
been  for  many  years  the  Patriarch  of  the  Church,  and  re- 
sides in  Salt  Lake  City.  The  office  of  Presiding  Patriarch  de- 
scends to  the  first  born  of  the  family  from  father  to  son,  pro- 
vided always  that  the  son  is  worthy  to  inherit  this  holy  call- 
ing, and  let  it  here  be  said  and  remembered  by  all  the  Saints 
in  every  generation,  that  no  better,  nobler,  purer  man  than 
Hyrum  Smith,  could  have  been  chosen  to  receive  this  Holy 
Patriarchal  Priesthood.  May  the  claim  of  his  generations  to 
whom  this  office  shall  descend,  never  find  within  it  a  weak  or 
broken  link ! 

In    May,    1829,    while    the    work    of    translating    the    Book 
of     Mormon     was     in     process,     while     Hyrum     Smith     and 


HVKUM   SMITH. 


08  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

several  others  were  rejoicing  in  the  dispensation  opening  to 
the  world,  about  the  time  that  John  the  Baptist  came  and 
restored  the  keys  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  the  Lord  gave 
a  revelation  through  Joseph  to  Hyrum  Smith.  In  it  he  com- 
manded Hyrum  to  "seek  to  bring  forth  and  establish  the  cause 
of  Zion.  Seek  not  for  riches,  but  for  wisdom,  and  behold,  the 
mysteries  of  God  shall  be  unfolded  unto  you,  and  then  shall 
you  be  made  rich;  behold,  he  that  hath  eternal  life  is  rich. 
*  *  *  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  impart  unto  you 
of  My  Spirit ;  which  shall  enlighten  your  mind ;  which  shall 
fill  your  soul  with  joy.  *  *  *  Behold,  I  command  you  that 
you  need  not  suppose  that  you  are  called  to  preach  until  you 
are  called.  *  *  *  Seek  not  to  declare  My  word,  but  first 
seek  to  obtain  'My  word,  and  then  shall  your  tongue  be  loosed; 
then  if  you  desire,  you  shall  have  My  Spirit  and  My  word  ; 
yea,  the  power  of  God  unto  the  convincing  of  men."  These 
and  many  other  glorious  instructions  are  found  given  to  Hyrum 
in  Section  11  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  The  truths, 
admonitions,  instructions,  doctrines  and  promises  therein  re- 
vealed, were  accepted  by  Hyrum  in  all  sincerity,  and  he  was 
guided  by  them  and  true  to  them  to  the  last  moment  of  his 
earthly  existence.  His  travels,  labors  and  experiences  in  detail 
scarcely  need  be  related  here,  because  they  are  so  closely  inter- 
woven with  the  history  of  the  Church  and  that  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph,  as  to  be  almost  identical.  On  the  13th  of  Oct.,  1837,  his 
wife,  Jerusha,  died.  This  was  during  the  persecutions  and 
hardships  entailed  upon  the  Saints  in  Missouri.  Subsequently 
he  married  Mary  Fielding,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
Joseph  F.  and  Martha,  the  former  being  now  the  President  of 
the  Church. 

In  June,  1829,  Hyrum  Smith  was  baptized  by  his  brother 
Joseph,  in  Seneca  Lake.  He  was  one  of  the  eight  witnesses 
permitted  to  view  the  plates  from  which  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon was  translated.  He  was  also  one  of  the  six  members 
who  went  to  constitute  the  organization  of  the  Church,  April 
6th,  1830.  His  name  stands  as  a  living  witness  of  the  exist- 
ence of  those  sacred  plates  which  give  to  the  world  the  his- 
tory of  the  Gospel  upon  the  Western  Hemisphere.  At  a  con- 
ference assembled  in  Far  West,  Missouri,  Hyrum  was  chosen 
and  sustained  as  second  Counselor  in  the  Presidency  of  the 


PATRIARCH   HYRUM   SMITH.  39 

Church  instead  of  Frederick  G.  Williams,  who  was  rejected 
on  Jan.  19th,  1841.  The  Lord,  through  the  Prophet  Joseph, 
then  revealed  the  following  Doctrine  and  Covenant,  Section 
124:  "And  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  blessed  is  My  serv- 
ant, Hyrum  Smith,  for  I,  the  Lord,  love  him  because  of  the 
integrity  of  his  heart,  and  because  he  loveth  that  which  is 
right  before  Me,  saith  the  Lord."  What  greater  blessing  can 
man  attain  to  than  to  know  that  God  loves  him,  not  simply  be- 
cause of  a  Heavenly  Father's  love  for  all  His  offspring,  but 
because  the  individual  is  right  in  heart  and  works  before  the 
Lord.  Surely  such  approval  in  this  life  must  be  as  Eternal 
Life  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord  hereafter.  In  the  same  revel- 
ation, the  Lord  said :  "That  My  Servant,  Hyrum  Smith,  may 
take  the  office  of  Priesthood  and  Patriarch,  which  was  ap- 
pointed unto  him  by  his  Father,  by  blessing  and  also  by  right. 
That  from  henceforth  he  shall  hold  the  keys  of  the  Patriarchal 
blessings  upon  the  heads  of  all  My  people,  that  whoever  he 
blesses  shall  be  blessed,  and  whoever  he  curses  shall  be 
cursed;  that  whatsoever  he  shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound 
in  heaven;  and  whatsoever  he  shall  loose  on  earth  shall  be 
loosed  in  heaven;  and  from  this  time  forth  I  appoint  unto 
him  that  he  may  be  a  Prophet,  and  a  Seer,  and  a  Revelator  unto 
My  Church,  as  well  as  My  servant,  Joseph ;  that  he  may  act 
in  concert  also  with  My  servant,  Joseph,  and  that  he  shall 
receive  counsel  from  My  servant,  Joseph,  who  shall  show  unto 
him  the  keys  whereby  he  may  ask  and  receive,  and  be  crowned 
with  the  same  blessing  and  glory  and  honor  and  Priesthood 
and  gifts  of  the  Priesthood,  that  once  were  put  upon  him 
that  was  my  servant,  Oliver  Cowdery ;  that  my  servant  Hy- 
rum may  bear  record  of  all  things  which  I  shall  show  unto 
him,  that  his  name  may  be  had  in  honorable  remembrance 
from  generation  to  generation,  forever  and  ever."  Thus  by 
revelation  direct  from  heaven  were  keys,  powers  and  author- 
ity, conferred  upon  Hyrum  equal  to  which  but  few  men  in  the 
history  of  this  world  have  ever  enjoyed.  He  was  a 
man  of  exceeding  great  love,  forbearance  and  kindness.  He 
was  not  hasty.  No  personal  antipathy  was  ever  allowed  a 
place  in  his  heart  toward  any  human  being,  nor  even  to  the  vil- 
est thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth.  His  power  to  bless 
was  never  idle;  his  authority  to  curse,  he  shuddered  at  the 


40 


PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 


thought  of  exercising.  When  one  of  the  brethren  in  the  heat 
of  trouble  in  Missouri  forsook  the  Prophet  Joseph,  and  said 
false  things  against  him,  whereby  he  forfeited  his  calling, 
Hyrum  Smith  went  to,  and  sought  to  turn  the  wayfaring  man 
from  his  error.  Apostle  John  Taylor  said  that  he  (Elder 
Taylor)  had  it  in  his  heart  to  try  to  save  the  rebellious  brother, 
but  said  when  he  heard  that  Hyrum  Smith  had  gone  before  him 
on  the  same  errand,  it  was  useless  for  him  to  try  if  Brother 
Hyrum  should  fail.  When  Sidney  Rigdon  failed  in  his  love  for 
Joseph  and  devotion  to  the  work  of  God,  and  Joseph  felt  to  drop 
him  .from  the  Presidency,  Hyrum,  in  his  great  mercy  and  his 
abhorrence  at  the  thought  of  one  making  shipwreck  of  his  faith, 
pleaded  with  Joseph  to  bear  longer  with  Sidney.  Joseph  said  : 
"If  my  brother  Hyrum  and  the  people  want  to  carry  Elder 
Rigdon  any  longer  they  may,  but  I  cannot."  Hyrum's  mercy 
prevailed,  although  the  Prophet  was  right  in  his  judgment, 
for  Elder  Rigdon  was  ungrateful  for  the  mercy  extended  and 
soon  fell  aside.  During  all  the  trials  to  which  the  Prophet 
was  subjected,  his  faithful  brother  Hyrum  shared  with  him 
therein.  They  were  imprisoned  together  in  Liberty  jail,  had 
been  courtmartialed  and  sentenced  to  be  shot  together  by  a  mob 
militia  at  Far  West.  Together  they  started  on  an  exploration 
tour  to  the  west  and  when  they  returned,  they  went  together 
to  Carthage  jail  to  be  offered  as  living  witnesses  that  God  had 
restored  the  Gospel  in  these  last  days.  , 

At  the  time  of  his  death  he  held  various  offices,  military 
and  civil,  and  had  always  been  useful  on  committees  in  build- 
ing the  Nauvoo  house,  Kirtland  Temple,  and  in  every  way  was 
a  most  capable  and  public  spirited  man.  He  was  for  the 
cause  of  Zion  incessantly.  It  was  his  whole  theme;  his 
thoughts  by  day  and  his  dreams  by  night.  In  all  respects 
he  was  morally,  intellectually,  physically  and  spiritually  a  most 
worthy  and  loving  companion  to  his  Prophet  brother.  As  a 
Patriarch,  he  is  represented  by  his  son,  John.  As  a  Prophet, 
Seer  and  Revelator,  he  is  represented  by  his  son,  President 
Joseph  F.  Smith. 

The  circumstances  of  their  Martyrdom  have  been  related 
elsewhere,  and  need  not  be  repeated  here  only  as  relates  directly 
to  Hyrum.  Before  the  awful  tragedy  took  place,  Hyrum  asked 
Elder  Taylor  to  sing  a  second  time  the  hymn,  "A  Poor  Way- 


PATRIARCH   HYRUM   SMITH.  41 

faring  Man  of  Grief."  Elder  Taylor  felt  too  depressed  to  sing, 
but  sang  again  in  compliance  with  Brother  Hyrum's  request. 
Before  leaving  home,  Hyrum  read  the  words  of  Moroni  to  the 
Gentiles  from  the  12th  chapter  of  Ether,  which  are  as  follows : 
"And  it  came  to  pass  that  I  prayed  unto  the  Lord  that  He 
would  give  unto  the  Gentiles  grace,  that  they  might  have 
charity.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  Lord  said  unto  me  if 
they  have  not  charity  it  mattereth  not  unto  thee,  thou  hast 
boon  faithful;  wherefore  thy  garments  shall  be  made  clean. 
And  because  thou  hast  seen  thy  weakness,  thou  shalt  be  made 
strong,  even  unto  the  sitting  down  in  the  place  which  I  have 
prepared  in  the  mansions  of  My  Father.  And  now  I,  (Moroni) 
bid  farewell  unto  the  Gentiles,  yea,  and  also  unto  my  brethren 
whom  I  love,  until  we  shall  meet  before  the  judgment  seat 
of  Christ,  where  all  men  shall  know  that  my  garments  are 
not  spotted  with  your  blood."  Soon  after  the  singing  of  the 
hymn  by  Elder  Taylor,  the  mob  rushed  upon  the  jail  and  cruelly 
murdered  the  brothers,  first  Hyrum,  and  then  the  Prophet 
Joseph,  and  frightfully  wounded  Apostle  John  Taylor.  Apostle 
Willard  Richards  escaped  injury  although  standing  side  by  side 
with  his  brethren  when  they  fell.  I  will  close  this  brief  sketch 
of  one  of  the  very  greatest  of  men  who  ever  lived,  by  quoting 
the  words  of  President  John  Taylor,  who  witnessed  the  martyr- 
dom and  offered  his  own  life  for  his  brethren:  ,  - 

"These  reflections  and  a  thousand  others  flashed  upon  my 
mind.  I  thought,  Why  must  the  good  perish,  and  the  vir- 
tuous bo  destroyed?  Why  must  God's  nobility,  the  salt  of  the 
earth,  the  most  exalted  of  the  human  family,  the  most  perfect 
types  of  all  excellence,  fall  victims  to  the  cruel,  fiendish  hate 
of  incarnate  devils? 

"The  poignancy  of  my  grief,  I  presume,  however,  was  some- 
what allayed  by  the  extreme  suffering  that  I  endured  from  my 
wounds. 

"Soon  afterwards  I  was  taken  to  the  head  of  the  stairs  and 
laid  there,  where  I  had  a  full  view  of  our  beloved  and  now 
murdered  brother,  Hyrum.  There  he  lay  as  I  had  left  him;  he 
had  not  moved  a  limb ;  he  lay  placid  and  calm,  a  monument  of 
greatness  even  in  death;  but  his  noble  spirit  had  left  its 
tenement,  and  was  gone  to  dwell  in  regions  more  congenial  to 
its  exalted  nature.  Poor  Hyrum!  he  was  a  great  and  good 


42  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

man,  and  my  soul  was  cemented  to  his.  If  ever  there  was 
an  exemplary,  honest,  and  virtuous  man,  an  embodiment  of  all 
that  is  noble  in  the  human  form,  Hyrum  Smith  was  its  repre- 
sentative." 


PRESIDENT  BRIGHAM  YOUNG. 

PRESIDENT  BRIGHAM  YOUNG,  the  successor  of  Joseph  Smith 
to  the  Presidency  and  prophetic  office  in  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  was  born  June  1,  1801,  in  Whit- 
tinghain,  Windham  county,  Vermont.  Like  his  predecessor, 
he  was  of  purely  American  stock,  dating  back  many  genera- 
tions. His  father,  John  Young,  fought  in  the  revolutionary 
war,  and  his  grandfather  in  the  French  and  Indian  war.  His 
family  relations  on  both  sides  were  among  the  staunchest  sup- 
porters of  freedom  in  the  American  colonies.  He  was  the  ninth 
child  in  a  family  of  five  sons  and  six  daughters.  They  were 
inured  to  hard  labor,  and  were  strictly  moral  in  their  habits. 
He  was  trained  in  piety,  but  joined  no  denomination  until  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  when  he  identified  himself  with  the  Metho- 
dist church,  to  which  his  parents  were  allied.  At  the  age  of 
sixteen  he  commenced  business  for  himself.  He  learned  the 
trades  of  carpenter,  joiner,  painter  and  glazier,  and  exhibited 
traits  of  a  practical  character  which,  in  after  life,  were  brought 
into  a  broad  field  of  activity  among  the  people  of  God,  being 
quickened  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty. 

In  the  meantime  his  parents  had  moved  to  Chenango  county, 
New  York.  On  October  8th,  1824,  he  married  Miss  Miriam 
Works,  and  located  in  Cayuga  county,  New  York,  where  he 
followed  the  occupation)  above  named.  Early  in  1829  he 
removed  to  Mendon,  Monroe  county,  New  York,  where, 
in  the  spring  of  1830,  he  first  saw  a  copy  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon,  which  was  brought  to  that  neighborhood  by 
Elder  Samuel  H.  Smith,  brother  of  the  Prophet.  The  con- 
tents of  this  sacred  record  he  carefully  read  with  a  prayerful 
desire  to  know  the  truth.  His  investigation  resulted  in  a  firm 
conviction  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  Prophet  of  the  Living  God, 
and  the  Book  of  Mormon  a  divine  record.  Although  a  Metho- 
dist of  sincere  piety,  and  confronted  with  frowns  and  oppo- 
sition, he  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  being  baptized 
and  confirmed  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  April  14th,  1832,  by  Elder  Eleazer  Miller. 


44  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

He  was  ordained  an  Elder  by  Brother  Miller  the  same  day. 
Three  weeks  later  his  faithful  wife  was  baptized,  dying  in 
the  faith  the  8th  of  September,  1832,  leaving  him  two  little 
girls  as  the  result  of  their  union.  From  the  day  of  Elder 
Young's  baptism,  he  became  a  most  indefatigable  and  fearless 
advocate  of  the  pure  principles  of  the  Gospel  revealed  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph.  His  parents,  brother  Joseph,  and  several 
other  members  of  the  Young  family,  also  embraced  the  Gos- 
pel and  became  active  workers  in  the  Church.  During  the 
summer  subsequent  to  his  baptism,  he  did  much  preaching  in 
the  regions  about  'Mendon,  baptizing  a  goodly  number  and  or- 
ganizing several  branches  of  the  Church.  In  this  vicinity  also, 
his  life-long  friend,  counselor  and  associate,  Heber  C.  Kim- 
ball,  received  the  Gospel. 

With  Elders  Kimball  and  Joseph  Young,  Brigham  visited 
Kirtland,  Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1832,  and  for  the  first  time  in 
life  saw  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  with  whom  he  at  once  be- 
came acquainted.  They  were  mutually  impressed  with  the  in- 
tegrity of  each  other.  In  the  evening  of  the  day  they  first  met, 
the  Prophet  called  upon  Brother  Brigham  to  pray.  While 
praying  he  spoke  in  tongues.  The  Prophet  received  the  inter- 
pretation, and  said  it  was  the  pure  language  spoken  by  Adam 
in  the  Garden  of  Eden.  After  Brigham  had  left  the  room  Jo- 
seph uttered  this  prophecy,  "The  time  will  come  when  Brother 
Brigham  Young  will  preside  over  this  Church."  Many  thou- 
sands of  people  now  live  as  witnesses  to  the  verification  of 
this  prediction. 

In  the  winter  of  1832-3  Brother  Brigham,  with  his  brother 
Joseph  Young,  labored  as  missionaries  in  and  near  West  La- 
boro,  Canada.  They  were  successful  in  baptizing  numbers  of 
people  and  organizing  several  branches  of  the  Church.  His 
labors  continued  the  following  spring  and  part  of  the  summer 
in  Canada  and  Northern  New  York,  with  encouraging  suc- 
cess. In  July,  1833,  he  conducted  a  small  company  of  Saints 
to  Kirtland.  This  may  be  called  the  commencement  of  his 
great  labors  in  the  capacity  of  a  pioneer  leader,  which  he  so 
fully  accomplished  in  later  years,  'and  through  which  he  was 
often  referred  to  as  the  "Modern  Moses."  In  the  fall  of  1833 
he  removed  with  his  family  to  Kirtland,  Ohio,  and  was  ever 
afterward  an  important  personage  in  the  growth  and  develop- 


BRIGHAM   YOUNG. 


46  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

ment  of  that  city.  In  February,  1834,  he  married  Mary  Ann 
Angell,  who  took  faithful  care  of  his  motherless  children.  She 
bore  several  children  to  him,  among  them  the  present  Apostle, 
Elder  Brigham  Young. 

When  Zion's  Camp  was  organized  in  1834  to  carry  supplies 
and  encouragement  to  the  driven  Saints  in-  'Missouri,  which 
work  needed  men  of  integrity,  endurance,  faith  and  courage, 
Brigham  Young  was  among  the  foremost  of  the  faithful  few 
to  accomplish  that  wonderful  pilgrimage,  doing  his  work  cheer- 
fully. He  was  never  known  to  murmur  against  Providence  or 
the  Prophet  of  the  Lord.  On  his  return  to  Kirtland,  having 
journeyed  2,000  miles  on  foot,  he  occupied  the  remainder  of 
the  year  working  on  the  printing  office,  school  room  and 
temple.  When  the  first  quorum  of  Twelve  Apostles  of  this 
dispensation  were  chosen,  Brigham  Young  was  numbered  among 
them;  this  occurred  February  14,  1835.  From  that  time 
until  1837,  he  spent  his  summers  preaching,  baptizing,  organ- 
izing branches,  as  a  missionary,  and  during  the  winter  work- 
ing at  his  trade  upon  the  Kirtland  Temple,  the  painting  and 
finishing  of  which  he  skillfully  superintended  in  the  spring  of 
1836.  He  also  attended  the  Hebrew  school  in  Kirtland  in  the 
winter  of  1835-36.  When  the  temple  was  dedicated,  he  attend- 
ed the  solemn  assembly  and  received  his  blessings  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord.  Soon  after  this  he  performed  a  faithful  mission  in 
the  Eastern  states,  with  Dr.  Willard  Richards.  He  returned 
in  May,  1837,  'and  later  the  same  year  fulfilled  another  short 
mission  in  the  state  of  New  York. 

During  the  financial  panic  of  1837,  when  apostacy  ran  so  high 
in  Kirtland  and  several  of  the  'Twelve  Apostles  turned  against 
the  Prophet  with  false  accusations,  seeking  his  overthrow, 
Brigham  Young  stood  firm  and  loyal,  declaring  in  the  face  of 
bitter  enemies,  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  true  and  faithful 
Prophet  of  God.  So  intense  was  the  hatred  against  Brigham 
for  this  bold  stand,  that  he  was  obliged  to  leave  Kirtland 
to  escape  the  fury  of  the  mob.  He  left  Dec.  22,  1837,  and  ar- 
rived in  the  colony  of  the  Saints  at  Far  West,  Missouri,  March 
14,  1838.  Soon  after  this  the  entire  Church  moved  from  Ohio 
to  Missouri.  In  the  meantime,  the  Prophet  Joseph  and  other 
brethren  were  betrayed  by  apostates,  threatened  with  death, 
iind  cast  into  prison.  During  this  period  the  coming  Prophet, 


PRESIDENT  BRtGHAM  YOUNG.  47 

Brigham  Young,  was  industriously  improving  the  land,  and 
laboring  diligently  in  the  duties  of  his  Apostleship,  especially 
in  preparing  and  planning  for  the  exodus  of  the  Saints  from 
Missouri,  under  the  cruel  order  of  extermination  issued  by  That 
modern  Herod,  Gov.  Lilburn  W.  Boggs.  In  this  emergency, 
Brigham  Young  exemplified  those  great  gifts  of  organization 
and  pioneering,  which  Providence  had  given  him  in  the  great 
exodus  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  a  decade  later.  He  not  only 
directed,  but  worked  as  hard  in  a  practical  way  as  those  over 
whom  he  was  called  at  this  critical  juncture  to  temporarily 
preside.  He  left  his  own  family  no  less  than  eleven  times,  to 
return  with  teams  and  bring  up  the  poor  and  helpless.  Himself 
and  President  Heber  C.  Kimball  had  entered  into  a  covenant, 
that  they  would  not  cease  their  efforts  until  all  should  be 
delivered  from  Missouri  and  safely  harbored  in  a  more  hos- 
pitable state.  This  covenant  they  most  faithfully  kept. 

April  T8th,  1839,  with  others  of  the  Twelve,  he  left  Quincy 
to  fulfill  a  revelation  given  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  July 
8th,  1838,  to  the  effect  that  the  Twelve  should  take  their  de- 
parture on  their  mission  to  England  from  the  temple  site  in 
Far  West.  The  mob  had  sworn  that  this  should  not  be  ful- 
filled, but  under  the  protection  of  the  Almighty,  with  Brigham 
Young  at  the  head  of  the  Twelve,  this  revelation  was  signally 
fulfilled.  He  returned  to  Quincy  May  3d,  and  met  with  Joseph 
and  Hyrum  Smith  for  the  first  time  since  their  escape  from  ene- 
mies in  Missouri.  On  the  16th  of  that  month  he  left  for  Nau- 
voo,  and  a  week  later,  moved  his  family  across  the  river  to 
Montrose,  Iowa,  where  he  secured  a  room  in  some  old  military 
barracks  as  a  temporary  home  for  himself  and  family.  The 
climate  was  sickly  in  Nauvoo  and  his  health  was  poor,  but 
he  was  constantly  doing  all  in  his  power  to  establish  the 
Saints  and  build  up  the  city  of  Nauvoo.  He  continued 
this  labor  until  September  14th,  1839,  when  he  started  "with- 
out purse  or  scrip"  to  perform  a  mission  in  England.  He  was 
sick  when  he  started,  leaving  a  babe  only  ten  days  old,  his 
wife  and  children  being  ill,  and  no  means  of  support  in  sight. 
Let  it  be  acknowledged  by  the  reader,  that  the  motive  which 
prompted  men  to  take  such  a  course  under  such  trying  circum- 
stances was  a  pure  one,  and  the  faith  which  buoyed  them  up, 
sustained  them,  and  brought  to  them  complete  success,  must 


48  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

have  been  the  "faith  that  was  once  delivered  to  the  Saints," 
produced  by  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  founded  upon  the  rock 
of  revelation.  On  his  way  to  New  York  he  did  much  teaching 
and  preaching,  sailing  from  thence  March  9th,  1840,  arriving 
in  England  April  6th. 

On  July  1st,  1841,  Elder  Young  arrived  in  Nauvoo  from  his 
mission  in  England,  and  was  cordially  welcomed  by  the  Pro- 
phet Joseph.  During  his  absence,  while  laboring  in  the 
British  Isles,  thousands  of  souls  were  added  to  the  Church 
in  that  foreign  land,  and  a  permanent  shipping  agency  estab- 
lished. Since  that  time,  probably  not  less  than  seventy-five 
thousand  souls  have  sailed  from  the  shores  of  Europe,  as 
members  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 
At  the  first  council  of  the  Twelve  held  in  a  foreign  laud, 
Brigham  Young  was  unanimously  sustained  as  President  of 
that  quorum.  Under  his  direction,  steps  were  taken  to  publish 
three  thousand  hymn  books,  and  five  thousand  copies  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  The  Millennial  Star  was  established,  with 
Apostle  Parley  P.  Pratt  as  its  first  editor.  This  periodical 
continues  until  the  present  time,  half  a  century  old,  and  has 
gone  to  the  homes  of  many  thousands,  bearing  the  glad  tidings 
of  the  Gospel  restored  to  earth. 

On  Jan.  19th,  1841,  the  following  revelation  was  given  to 
the  Prophet  Joseph :  "I  give  unto  you  my  servant  Brigham 
Young  to  be  a  President  over  the  Twelve  traveling  coun- 
cil, which  Twelve  hold  the  keys  to  open  up  the  authority  of 
my  kingdom  upon  the  four  corners  of  the  earth,  and  after 
that  to  send  my  word  to  every  creature." 

The  quorum  of  the  Twelve  stand  next  in  authority  to  the 
Presidency  of  the  Church,  and  in  case  of  the  decease  of  the 
Prophet,  the  Twelve  preside  over  the  Church  with  their  Pres- 
ident at  the  head.  Thus  was  brought  to  the  front  Brigham 
Young,  ;the  man  whom  God  designed  should  succeed  Joseph 
Smith  in  his  great  office. 

In  July,  1841,  the  Lord  said  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith:  "Dear  and  well-beloved  brother  Brigham  Young, 
verily  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you,  my  servant  Brigham, 
it  is  no  more  required  at  your  hands  to  leave  your  family  as  in 
times  past,  for  your  offering  is  acceptable  to  me.  I  have  seen 
vour  Inbor  and  toil  in  journey  ings  for  my  name.  I  there- 


PRESIDENT   BRIGHAM   YOUNG.  49 

fore  command  you  to  send  my  word  abroad  and  take  special 
care  of  your  family  from  this  time,  henceforth  and  forever. 
Amen." 

Subsequent  events  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  demonstrated 
the  propriety  of  this  revelation  to  the  fullest  extent.  He  was 
constantly  diligent  in  the  building  up  of  the  city  as  well  as  in 
attending  to  the  duties  of  his  Apostleship.  In  July,  following 
the  call  of  President  Young  to  preside  over  the  quorum  of  the 
Twelve,  the  Prophet  Joseph  requested  the  Twelve  to  take  the 
responsibility  of  the  Church  in  Nauvoo,  especially  in  practical 
matters.  They  attended  to  the  selling  of  its  lands,  locating  the 
incoming  Saints  and  performing  such  other  labors  as  would 
relieve  and  lighten  the  burdens  resting  upon  the  Prophet  Joseph. 

In  all  this  labor,  Brigham  Young  was  energetic  and  efficient, 
proving  himself  to  be  a  great  help  to  the  Prophet  in 
all  the  labors  incident  to  those  trying  times.  He  also  served 
with  ability  as  a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Nauvoo.  On 
the  7th  of  July,  1843,  he  started  on  a  mission  to  the  Eastern 
states,  one  chief  purpose  being  to  gather  funds  for  the  build- 
ing of  the  temple  and  the  Nauvoo  House.  He  was  absent  un- 
til Oct.  22d  the  same  year.  From  this  time  until  May  21, 
1844,  he  was  busy  in  his  calling,  often  in  council  with  the 
Prophet  and  other  leading  men,  constantly  alive  to  the  interests 
of  Ziou  and  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  throughout  the  world. 
On  the  date  last  named,  he  went  on  a  short  mission  to  the  East. 
While  absent,  learning  of  the  sad  news  of  the  martyrdom  of 
Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith,  he  immediately  returned  to  Nau- 
voo. 

This  was  the  first  time,  in  this  dispensation,  the  Church  had 
been  called  to  mourn  the  loss  of  its  Prophet,  Seer  and  Rev- 
elator.  The  people  were  young  in  experience.  False  brethren 
sought  to  establish  themselves  as  the  rightful  guardians  of  the 
Church,  Sidney  Rigdon  making  such  a  claim  at  a  conference 
held  in  Nauvoo  Aug.  8th,  1844.  When  the  Twelve  were  sus- 
tained as  the  presiding  authority  of  the  Church,  Brigham 
Young  arose  to  speak,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  multitude 
was  transfigured  by  the  Spirit  and  power  of  God,  so  that  his 
form,  size,  countenance  and  voice,  appeared  as  those  of  the 
martyred  Prophet.  Even  non-members  of  the  Church  who 
were  present  were  struck  with  amazement  and  expected  to  see 


50  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

and  hear  the  departed  Seer.  From  that  moment,  doubt  and  un- 
certainty were  banished  from  the  hearts  of  the  faithful,  and 
they  were  fully  assured  that  the  mantle  of  Joseph  Smith  had 
fallen  upon  Brigham  Young.  On  the  above  occasion  President 
Young  said-  "All  that  want  to  draw  away  a  party  from  the 
Church  after  them,  do  it  if  they  can;  but  they  will  not  pros- 
per." So  far  as  time  has  brought  this  prophecy  due,  it  has 
been  verified  to  the  letter.  It  only  remains  for  a  little  season 
to  record  the  confusion  and  downfall  of  any  and  every  system, 
which  claims  to  be  the  succession  of  the  Church  as  established 
through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  yet  which  denies  the 
authority  of  Brigham  Young  and  the  Twelve  to  preside  over 
and  continue  the  work,  which  God  established  through  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 

•  After  the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum,  persecution  did 
not  cease;  the  Prophets  were  slain,  but  Truth  did  not  die. 
The  man  who  stood  as  the  earthly  head  was  taken  away,  but 
the  authority  which  he  held  had  been  conferred  upon  others. 
The  work  of  God  went  on  and  in  the  midst  of  persecution  and 
bitter  hatred,  Brigham  Young  stood  calmly  performing  his  du- 
ties, counseling  the  Saints,  caring  for  their  wants,  and  push- 
ing with  zeal  the  completion  of  the  Nauvoo  Temple,  which  was 
dedicated  and  used  for  sacred  ordinances  before  the  final  exo- 
dus from  Nauvoo.  Brigham  Young  labored  much  in  the  tem- 
ple until  February,  1846,  when  he  left  the  beloved  city,  and 
joined  the  emigrating  Saints  on  the  west  side  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. This  was  a  trying  time.  Twenty  thousand  Saints  were 
dispossessed  of  their  homes,  and  turned  out  upon  the  prairies 
of  Iowa  in  winter.  It  required  not  only  a  strong  man  to  be 
their  leader,  but  one  whose  greatness  consisted  in  his  faith  in 
God  and  title  to  the  right  that  God  should  be.  his  strength  and 
source  of  inspiration.  Such  a  man  was  Brigham  Young,  a  ver- 
itable "Lion  of  the  Lord"  in  the  face  of  persecution  and  trial, 
yet  childlike,  humble  and  ever  dependent  on  the  Lord. 

The  Saints  were  seeking  a  country,  they  knew  not  where. 
They  were  poor,  some  were  sick.  Several  babies  were  born 
in  camp,  just  after  leaving  Nauvoo.  To  counteract  melan- 
choly, and  aid  them  to  exercise  cheerful  hope,  President  Young 
would  have  them  meet  around  the  campfire,  and  engage  in 
songs  and  instrumental  music.  To  aid  the  Saints  less  well 


PRESIDENT   BRIGHAM   YOUNG.  51 

equipped  thaii  others,  he  established  two  resting  and  recruiting 
points,  Garden  Grove  and  Mount  Pisgah.  The  main  body,  with 
President  Young  at  their  head,  reached  Council  Bluffs,  on  the 
Missouri  river,  in  June.  While  there,  he  was  requested  by  the 
government,  to  furnish  a  battalion  of  five  hundred  men,  to  en- 
gage in  the  war  with  Mexico.  This  was  promptly  complied 
with;  taking  many  of  the  most  able-bodied  men  from  the  camp 
of  the  Saints.  This  battalion  marched  across  the  plains  to 
California,  and  after  being  mustered  out  with  honor,  reached 
Salt  Lake  Valley  a  little  later  than  the  Pioneers.  After  fitting 
out  the  Mormon  Battalion,  he  crossed  the  Missouri  to  the  Ne- 
braska side  and  established  Winter  Quarters,  since  called  Flor- 
ence, about  five  miles  north  of  Omaha.  There  he  laid  out 
streets  and  blocks,  upon  which  comfortable  log  houses  were 
built.  He  erected  a  grist  mill,  and  in  numerous  ways  provided 
for  the  comfort  of  the  Saints,  while  himself  and  a  chosen  few 
should  explore  the  unknown  regions  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  in 
quest  of  a  home  for  an  exiled  people. 

In  April,  1847,  President  Young  and  one  hundred  forty- 
two  others,  among  whom  were  three  noble  wome,n,  full  of 
faith,  commenced  their  perilous  journey  across  the  plains, 
arriving  at  Salt  Lake  Valley  July  24th,  1847.  President 
Young  was  sick  and  riding  in  the  carriage  of  Apostle  Wllford 
Woodruff.  When  his  eyes  rested  upon  the  valley,  he  said, 
"This  is  the  place."  It  was  a  barren  desert,  but  God  had 
shown  him  in  vision  the  place  to  rest,  and  he  knew  the  valley 
when  he  saw  it  with  his  natural  eye.  President  Young  im- 
mediately directed  the  laying  out  of  a  city  with  ten-acre  blocks, 
containing  eight  lots  each  of  one  and  one-fourth  acres.  The 
streets  were  eight  rods  wide,  to  have  a  sidewalk  on  either 
«ide  one  rod  wide,  and  subsequently,  when  water  could  be  ob- 
tained, a  beautiful  row  of  trees  to  adorn  and  shade  the  walks, 
livened  by  a  crystal  stream  on  the  outside  of  the  walk.  This 
was  the  pattern,  and  most  of  the  cities  of  Utah  bear  the  main 
•characteristics  of  the  pioneer  city  of  Salt  Lake.  In  August- 
President  Young  started  on  his  return  to  Winter  Quarters,  on 
the  way  meeting  about  two  thousand  Saints,  who  reached  Salt 
Lake  Valley  in  the  fall  of  1847.  It  was  then  Mexican  soil,  but 
the  Stars  and  Stripes  had  been  unfurled  by  the  Mormon  Pioneers 
on  Ensign  Peak  above  the  city. 


52  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

At  Winter  Quarters  on  December  5th,  1847,  President  Young 
was  unanimously  sustained  by  the  Twelve  as  President  of  the 
Church;  also  on  Dec.  27,  by  all  the  authorities  and  Saints  as 
sembled  in  general  conference  at  Council  Bluffs.  On  the  26th 
of  May  he  started  with  his  family  on  his  return  to  Salt  Lake 
Valley.  At  Winter  Quarters  he  left  a  home,  a  mill  and  other 
property.  This  was  the  fifth  time  he  had  left  his  home  and 
property  for  the  Gospel's  sake.  This  year  he  superintended  the 
emigration  of  over  two  thousand  souls,  arrived  in  Salt  Lake 
City  Sept.  20,  1848,  and  began  at  once  giving  council  and 
planning  for  the  general  welfare.  At  a  conference  held  Oct. 
8,  1848,  he  was  unanimously  sustained  as  President  of  the 
Church,  with  Heber  C.  Kimball  and  Willard  Richards,  who 
had  also  been  sustained  in  the  conference  at  Council  Bluffs, 
as  his  counselors. 

A  new  era  now  dawned  upon  the  Church,  a  thousand  miles 
from  bigoted  intolerance  and  mob  violence.  The  Saints  found 
themselves  in  a  desert,  but  free  and  happy,  notwithstanding 
the  task  before  them  of  reclaiming  a  wilderness.  No  man  in 
the  Church,  before  or  since,  was  better  adapted  to  lead  in  col- 
onizing and  building  up  a  grealt  commonwealth  than  was 
Brigham  Young.  He  served  as  the  first  governor  of  Utah, 
from  1851  to  1858,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people  of  the  ter- 
ritory and  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  who  appointed 
him.  When  an  army  was  sent  to  Utah  for  the  purpose  of 
suppressing  an  imaginary  rebellion,  which  the  deceitful  Judge 
Drumrnond  had  induced  President  Buchanan  to  believe  ex- 
isted, President  Young  declared  that  if  the  army  persisted  in 
entering  Salt  Lake  Valley  as  a  hostile  force,  they  would  find 
it,  as  the  Latter-day  Saints  had  found  it,  a  barren  waste.  Ac- 
cordingly, torches  were  prepared  to  burn  down  all  the  houses 
and  property  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  body  of  Saints  moved 
southward.  The  move  was  made,  but  through  kind  Providence 
and  the  intervention  of  Col.  Thos.  L.  Kane,  the  administra- 
tion was  convinced  that  no  rebellion  existed  in  Utah,  and  that 
Judge  Drummond  had  basely  misrepresented  the  Latter-day 
Saints.  The  judge  had  reported  that  the  Mormons  had  burned 
the  court  records,  but  the  committee  who  preceded  the  army  to 
Salt  Lake  City,  found  the  court  records  intact,  while  life  and 
property  was  as  safe  to  all  classes  as  in  any  other  part  of  the 


PRESIDENT   BKIGHAM   YOUNG.  53 

Union.  In  this  trying  circumstance,  the  courage  and  prompt 
action  of  President  Brigham  Young  displayed  the  character  of 
the  man. 

On  April  0,  1853,  the  corner-stones  of  a  great  Temple  were 
laid  in  Salt  Lake  City,  which  was  completed  forty  years  later. 
Before  its  completion  President  Young  laid  the  foundation  of 
three  others,  in  St.  George,  Manti  and  Logan.  The  one  in  St. 
George  he  lived  to  dedicate  to  the  Lord.  He  also  completed 
the  organization  of  the  Stakes  of  Zion,  so  far  as  population 
required  it  to  be  done.  In  the  St.  George  Temple  he  explained 
the  order  and  duties  of  the  various  offices  in  the  Holy  Priest- 
hood. During  his  life-time  in  Utah,  from  1847  to  1877,  he  la- 
bored most  industriously,  in  both  spiritual  and  temporal  matters, 
for  the  welfare  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  territory,  and 
indeed  for  the  benefit  of  all  mankind.  He  built  mills,  factories 
and  graneries,  etc.,  and  encouraged  every  form  of  home  in- 
dustry, which  the  facilities  of  this  region  would  justify.  In 
the  development  of  mines  alone,  he  exercised  a  check,  stating 
that  the  time  had  not  come  to  develop  them  to  any  considerable 
extent.  The  wisdom  of  this  suggestion  is  appreciated  by  the 
Latter-day  Saints,  who  know  that  a  rapid  development  of 
mining  interests  at  that  time  would  have  brought  to  Utah  an 
element  of  speculators  and  political  demagogues,  who  would 
have  waged  a  bitter  warfare  against  the  Saints  when  their 
numbers  and  strength  were  too  limited  to  maintain  their  foothold 
in  this  region ;  besides  which  farms  and  necessary  work  would 
have  been  neglected,  to  the  people's  sorrow  and  loss. 

President  Young  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  building  of 
railroads.  He  was  a  contractor  on  a  large  scale  in  constructing 
the  Union  Pacific  and  the  telegraph  line  across  the  plains ;  also 
in  building  the  Deseret  telegraph  line  to  local  points  in  the 
state.  Brigham  Young  and  his  associates  founded  the  Deseret 
University,  now  called  the  University  of  Utah,  one  of  the 
very  best  educational  institutions  west  of  the  Missouri  river. 
In  later  years,  to  aid  the  children  of  the  Saints  to  ob- 
tain an  education  in  religious  truths,  as  well  as  in  secular 
branches,  he  founded  and  endowed  the  Brigham  Young  Academy 
in  Provo,  and  the  Brigham  Young  College  in  Logan.  He 
was  in  all  respects  the  friend  and  promoter  of  all  true 
education,  though  limited  himself  in  youth  to  eleven  days' 


54  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

schooling.  He  foimded  settlements  in  Arizona,  Idaho  and  Ne- 
vada. During  his  administration  of  thirty  years  as  President 
of  the  Church,  he  made  frequent  tours,  accompanied  by  his 
associates  in  the  Priesthood,  to  the  settlements  of  the  Saints 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  He  was  dili- 
gent in  sending  the  Gospel  abroad,  opening  up  new  fields  of  la- 
bor in  various  parts  of  the  earth.  He  was  a  man  of  God,  and 
a  man  of  the  people.  He  loved  God  and  all  mankind,  yet  he 
never  catered  to  public  sentiment.  He  would  always  know 
the  truth  and  righteousness  of  a  movement  before  he  would 
espouse  and  aid  it. 

Like  his  predecessor,  Joseph  Smith,  and  nearly  all  great 
men,  ho  had  bitter  enemies.  His  character  and  course  in  life 
were  traduced  and  villified.  He  was  cast  into  prison  on  false 
charges,  and  the  weapon  of  the  assassin  was  prepared  to  shed 
his  blood.  But  God  "delivered  him  out  of  them  all."  Though 
he  did  not  utter  so  many  distinct  prophecies,  he  builded  faith- 
fully upon  the  foundation  laid  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  and  all  his  movements  and  counsels  were  prophetic, 
as  fully  demonstrated  by  subsequent  events.  He  was  Pro- 
phet, statesman,  pioneer  and  colonizer.  The  saying  is  at- 
tributed to  William  H.  Seward,  secretary  of  state  under  the 
administration  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  that  America  had  never 
produced  a  greater  statesman  than  Brigham  Young.  His  pol- 
icy with  the  Indians  was  one  of  peace.  "It  is  better  to  feed 
them  than  to  fight  them,"  was  his  theory,  and  he  carried  it 
out  fully.  The  Indians  loved  and  respected  him.  It  cannot  be 
denied  truthfully,  that  the  policy  of  Brigham  Young  and  his 
people  with  the  Indians,  has  saved  to  our  nation  life  and 
treasure  in  Utah  and  Arizona. 

In  his  family  President  Young  was  kind  and  indulgent.  In- 
deed he  was  a  philanthropist  to  all  who  would  receive  his  coun- 
sel and  kind  acts,  for  he  was  not  only  the  husband  of  several 
wives  like  the  Patriarchs  and  Prophets  of  old,  and  the  father 
of  fifty-six  children,  but  he  provided  means  for  the  support 
and  education  of  orphans  and  others  destitute  of  the  comforts 
of  life.  He  believed,  however,  in  the  strictest  industry  and 
that  it  was  false  policy  to  feed  men  in  idleness  if  work  could 
be  provided  for  them.  In  the  face  of  calumny  and  opposition, 
he  was  calm  and  serene,  and  bore  persecution  with  that  sub- 


PRESIDENT  BKIQHAM  YOUNG.  55 

mission  and  patience  which  stamped  him,  not  only  a  broad- 
minded  and  great-hearted  man,  but  truly  a  follower  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  He  departed  this  life  peacefully  at  his  home  in 
Salt  Lake  City  Aug.  29th,  1877.  His  funeral  was  attended 
by  about  thirty  thousand  people,  both  of  his  faith  and  non- 
Mormons.  He  was  a  true  and  undaunted  friend  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  for  whom  he  offered  his  life,  wherever  opportunity 
presented  itself,  and  it  is  not  wonderful  if,  when  the  spirit  was 
taking  flight  from  its  temple  of  clay,  Joseph  appeared  to  him 
and  welcomed  him  home  to  the  spirit  world,  for  the  last  words 
he  uttered  were,  "Joseph!  Joseph!  Joseph!  Joseph!"  and  Brig- 
ham  Young  had  finished  his  earthly  mission. 


JOHN  SMITH 

FOURTH    PRESIDING  PATRIARCH  OF  THE    CHURCH. 

The  brotber  of  Joseph  Smith,  Sr.,  whose  name  stands  at  the 
head  of  this  brief  chapter,  was  born  in  Derryfield  (now  Man- 
chester), Rockingham  county,  New  Hampshire,  July  16th,  1781. 
In  1815  he  married  Clarissa  Lyman,  by  whom  he  had  three  chil- 
dren, George  Albert,  Caroline  and  John  Lyman. 

The  Gospel  was  introduced  to  John  Smith  by  his  brother 
Joseph,  father  of  the  Prophet.  He  promptly  obeyed  the  divine 
message,  and  although  very  sick,  he  was  led  to  the  waters  of 
baptism  in  mid-winter,  when  the  ice  had  to  be  cut,  and  received 
the  ordinance  January  9th,  1832.  He  had  been  given  up  by  the 
doctors  to  die,  but  from  the  time  of  his  baptism  began  '10  recover . 
He  was  also  ordained  an  Elder  soon  after  his  baptism. 

He  moved  to  Kirtland,  Ohio,  in  1833,  and  five  years  later  to 
Far  West,  Missouri,  where  he  underwent  the  persecutions  inci- 
dental to  those  trying  times.  From  Far  West  he  removed  to 
Adam-Ondi-Ahman,  where  he  presided  over  the  Church  in 
Daviess  county.  He  with  the  'Saints  were  expelled  by  the  mob 
in  1839,  and  in  February  of  that  year  arrived  in  Illinois.  He 
located  at  Green  Plains,  where  he  planted  a  crop,  split  rails  and 
did  other  heavy  manual  labor,  much  unsuited  to  his  age  and 
health.  In  June  he  loctaed  in  Nauvoo  and  thence  went  to  Lee 
county,  Iowa,  to  preside  over  the  Church  in  that  State. 

In  October,  1843,  he  returned  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Mace 
donia,  Hancock  county.  In  that  place  he  presided  over  the 
Saints.  In  January,  1844,  he  was  ordained  to  the  patriarchal 
office.  In  November  of  the  same  year  he  was  driven  by  mobo- 
crats  from  his  home  in  Macedonia  to  Nauvoo,  where  he  imparted 
many  patriarchal  blessings  to  the  joy  and  comfort  of  the  Saints, 
until  driven  by  mobocrats  from  the  sovereign  State  of  Illinois, 
February  9th,  1846,  to  seek  an  asylum  of  peace  beyond  the 
Rocky  Mountains  in  the  valleys  of  the  unexplored  west.  He 
crossed  Iowa  to  Winter  Quarters  and  spent  a  dreary  winter  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Missouri  river.  On  the  9th  of  June,  1847, 


JOHN   SMITH. 


58  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

he  commenced  his  weary  march  with  ox  teams  across  the  great 
plains  of  Nebraska,  and  arrived  in  Salt  Lake  valley  September 
23rd,  1847.  While  President  Young  and  associates  were  attend 
ing  directly  to  the  removal  of  the  Saints  from  Winter  Quarters 
to  Salt  Lake  Valley,  Father  John  Smith  presided  over  the 
Church  in  their  gathered  condition  until  January  1st,  1849,  when 
he  was  ordained  presiding  Patriarch  of  the  Church  under  the 
hands  of  Presidents  Brigham  Young  and  Heber  C.  Kimball. 

The  office  of  Presiding  Patriarch  is  handed  down  from  father 
to  son,  the  only  hereditary  office  in  the  Church,  but  at  this  time 
John  Smith  the  eldest  son  of  Hyrum  was  very  young,  and  John, 
the  brother  of  the  first  Patriarch,  was  called  to  fill  this  office, 
which  he  occupied  during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  From  the 
Old  Fort  he  moved  to  his  city  lot,  which  was  the  -only  spot  he  had 
been  left  unmolested,  to  cultivate  for  the  preceding  twenty- three 
years.  Like  his  brother  Joseph  he  was  truly  benevolent  and 
great  hearted,  a  veritable  friend  to  the  poor,  whom  he  blessed 
in  spirit  and  assisted  to  the  temporal  blessings  of  life.  His 
blessings  were  full  of  comfort,  consolation  and  prophecy.  The 
father  of  the  writer  received  under  his  hands  a  choice  and 
prophetic  blessing,  which  we  esteem  as  a  sacred  relic  of  the 
Patriarch's  inspired  administrations  among  the  people  of  God. 
Father  Smith  gave  during  his  labors  in  the  Patriarchal  office 
5,560  patriarchal  blessings,  the  contents  of  which  are  full  of 
comfort,  consolation  and  inspired  prophecies.  They  are  recorded 
in  seven  large  volumes.  He  died  in  Salt  Lake  City,  May  23rd, 
1854,  and  will  come  forth  among  the  very  choicest  fruits  of  the 
morning  of  the  first  resurrection.  He  was  a  choice  friend  of 
Col.  Thos.  L.  Kane,  and  at  whose  hands  Col.  Kane  received 
blessings  which  were  of  lasting  benefit  in  life,  and  will  tend  to 
the  latter's  glory  and  exaltation  in  the  life  to  come.  Father 
Smith  was  the  father  of  Apostle  and  President  George  A.  Smith, 
grandfather  of  Apostle  John  Henry  Smith,  and  the  literal  de- 
scendants of  this  great  and  good  man  will  be  numbered  with  the 
presiding  authorities  of  the  Church  through  all  time  to  come, 
and  will  be  found  among  the  foremost  in  the  councils  of 
Heaven. 


PEESIDENT  JOHN  TAYLOR. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  President  JOHN  TAYLOR,  was 
the  third  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints.  He  was  born  at  Milnthorpe,  Westmoreland  county, 
England,  Nov.  1st,  1808.  His  parents,  James  and  Agnes 
Taylor,  were  members  of  the  Church  of  England.  Naturally 
enough  they  taught  their  children  adherence  to  the  principles 
of  that  faith.  Their  son  John  early  manifested  a  strong  rever- 
ence for  God  and  sacred  truths.  He  was  very  prayerful,  and 
thoroughly  conscientious  in  his  course.  At  the  early  age  of 
fifteen,  he  exhibited  an  independence  of  character  as  well  as 
such  profound  convictions  of  his  own  mind,  that  the  left  that 
church  and  joined  the  Methodists.  Soon  after  becoming  identi- 
fied with  the  latter  sect,  he  was  appointed  a  local  preacher  and 
labored  diligently  as  such  until  he  emigrated  to  America  in  1828. 
While  occupied  as  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  associated  with  a 
much  older  minister  of  the  same  persuasion,  he  said  to  his  com- 
panion one  day :  "I  feel  impressed  that  I  am  going  to 
America  to  preach  the  Gospel !"  And  with  this  inspiration, 
he  also  expressed  the  conviction  that  while  they  were  doing 
and  teaching  about  the  best  they  knew,  there  was  something 
lacking,  and  they  did  not  possess  the  Gospel  in  its  fullness,  as 
taught  by  the  Savior  and  His  ancient  Apostles. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  America  he  made  a  brief  sojourn  in  New 
York,  Brooklyn  and  Albany,  and  shortly  afterwards  joined  his 
parents  in  Toronto,  Canada,  to  which  place  they  had  preceded 
him  two  years  previously.  While  residing  in  Toronto  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Lenora  Cannon,  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  who  was  an  aunt 
to  President  George  Q.  Cannon,  who  for  many  years  was  a 
member  of  the  First  Presidency  of  the  Church. 

President  Taylor's  mind  was  constantly  leading  him  into  re- 
searches for  divine  truth,  and  being  convinced  that  the  churches 
extant  were  far  from  the  one  established  by  the  Messiah, 
he  associated  himself  with  a  number  of  well  informed,  inde- 
pendent thinking  gentlemen  for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  Holy 


60  PROPHJUTS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Scriptures.  Some  of  his  associates  were  members  of  the  same 
Church  as  himself,  and  were  laboring  under  similar  convic- 
tions. They,  consequently,  felt  free  and  untrammeled  in  their 
researches  to  follow  their  own  impressions  of  the  Scriptures, 
independent  of  any  constructions  placed  upon  them  by  ortho- 
dox "Christian"  teachers  and  commentators.  Through  their 
careful  and  prayerful  investigation,  they  became  convinced 
of,  and  were  much  impressed  with,  the  clearness  with  which 
certain  great  truths  (almost  unnoticed  by  the  preachers  of  the 
time)  were  set  forth  in  the  Bible,  such  as  the  ministration 
of  angels  in  the  last  days ;  the  restoring  of  the  everlasting  Gos- 
pel in  all  its  ancient  purity  and  power ;  the  necessity  of  imme- 
diate and  continuous  revelation ;  the  necessity  of  Apostles  and 
Prophets ;  the  inspiration  and  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  the 
gathering  of  Israel ;  the  coming  and  reign  of  Jesus  upon  the 
earth,  and  other  glorious  truths  to  be  revealed  in  the  last  days. 
They  concluded  that  the  churches  of  Christendom  were  not 
founded  upon  the  rock  of  divine  authority.  If  the  Bible  were 
true,  the  churches  were  false.  Under  such  pronounced  convic- 
tions, they  fasted  and  prayed  much,  that  if  the  Savior  had  a 
Church  upon  the  earth  He  would  send  a  messenger  unto  them. 

In  his  eagerness  to  possess  more  truth  and  come  nearer  to 
its  perfect  fullness,  John  Taylor  investigated  and  received 
Irvingism;  but  shortly  afterwards  Elder  Parley  P.  Pratt  ap- 
peared upon  the  scene  as  a  representative  of  the  Gospel  re- 
stored through  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  Bro.  Taylor,  having 
heard  false  rumors  about  Joseph  Smith  and  the  "Mormons," 
received  Elder  Pratt  very  cautiously  and  asked  him  many 
questions  by  which  he  could  compare  the  teachings  of  Elder 
Pratt  with  the  Scriptures.  He  and  his  companions  also  in- 
vited Elder  Pratt  to  address  them  in  public,  and  after  a  thor- 
ough examination  of  his  teachings,  he  and  a  number  of  his 
associates  were  baptized  into  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  Brother  Taylor  was  ordained  an  Elder  b:' 
Brother  Pratt,  and  a  little  later,  set  apart  by  him  and  Elder 
Orson  Hyde  as  presiding  Elder  in  upper  Canada. 

In  the  baptism  of  these  people,  which  includes  the  good  man 
of  whom  we  write,  was  fulfilled  a  remarkable  prophecy  littered 
in  Kirtland,  Ohio,  by  Elder  Heber  C.  Kimball,  upon  the  head 
of  Parley  P.  Pratt,  which,  with  other  items  contained  in  the 


JOHN  TAYLOR. 


OZ  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

prediction,  was  the  statement  that  Brother  Pratt  should  find  in 
Canada  a  people  prepared  to  receive  the  Gospel.  This  was  lit- 
erally verified. 

Elder  Taylor  was  diligent  and  efficient  in  preaching  the 
Gospel  in  Canada.  He  was  a  wood  turner  by  trade,  and  plied 
his  avocation  to  secure  a  livelihood  for  himself  and  family. 
In  1837  the  Prophet  Joseph,  with  other  brethren,  visited  To- 
ronto, and  under  the  Prophet's  hands  Elder  Taylor  was  or- 
dained a  High  Priest.  He  made  several  visits  to  Kirtland 
before  removing  with  the  Saints  to  the  west,  and  was  usually 
the  guest  of  the  Prophet  Joseph.  During  the  great  apostasy  of 
1837,  when  many  leading  men  turned  away  and  became  so  em- 
bittered against  the  Prophet  that  the  lives  of  men  who  defended 
him  were  endangered,  Elder  John  Taylor  stood  up  boldly  in 
the  Kirtland  Temple  in  the  midst  of  foes,  and  with  that  elo- 
quent power  which  came  from  God,  and  which  ever  charac- 
terized Elder  Taylor's  speech,  declared  that  Joseph  Smith  was 
a  Prophet  of  the  living  God  and  had  not  fallen,  as  alleged  by 
the  apostates. 

Elder  Taylor  was  equally  diligent  in  private  conversation, 
in  maintaining  the  integrity  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  and  spread- 
ing the  Gospel  among  the  people.  From  Canada,  he  removed 
to  Kirtland  by  request  of  the  Prophet.  From  Kirtland  he  re- 
moved to  Missouri,  joining  the  body  of  the  Church  in  Far  West 
in  1838.  In  his  migration  he  preached  the  Gospel  on  the  way, 
and  organized  a  branch  of  the  Church  near  Indianapolis,  Ind. 
Before  reaching  Far  West,  he  and  his  little  company  of  twenty- 
four  encountered  a  mob,  led  by  two  ministers,  Abbott  Hancock, 
a  Baptist,  and  Sashiel  Woods,  a  Presbyterian,  but  were  not 
harmed. 

On  July  8th,  1838,  the  Lord,  by  revelation,  called  Elder 
Taylor  to  the  Apostleship  to  fill  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the 
fall  of  John  F.  Boynton.  At  a  conference  in  Far  West,  Oct. 
5th,  1838,  he  was  sustained  by  the  vote  of  the  Saints,  and  or- 
dained December  19,  the  same  year,  by  Apostles  Brigham 
Young  and  Heber  C.  Kimball,  having  been  the  same  day 
sustained  by  vote  of  the  High  Council.  Elder  Taylor  entered 
immediately  into  the  duties  of  his  new  calling,  and  as  in  all 
previous  callings,  soon  proved  himself  truly  an  Apostle  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  While  a  resident  of  Missouri,  he  shared  in 


PRESIDENT   JOHN    TAYLOR.  63 

ill]  the  persecutions  heaped  upon  the  Saints.  He  was  so  bold 
and  powerful  in  his  defense  of  their  rights,  and  so  terrible  in 
his  denunciation  of  the  wicked,  that  he  was  designated  the 
"Champion  of  Right ;"  and  this  title  was  ever  after  accorded 
him  by  the  Latter-day  Saints.  On  one  occasion  he  was  selected 
with  a  small  body  of  the  Saints,  to  go  and  protect  Adam-Ondi- 
Ahman,  where  the  enemy,  nowithstanding  their  superior  num- 
bers, retreated  before  the  band. 

While  Joseph  and  Hyrurn  Smith  were  imprisoned  in  Missou- 
ri, Elder  Taylor  paid  them  several  visits.  He  was  selected 
by  the  Saints  of  Caldwell  county,  one  of  a  committee  to  draft 
a  memorial  to  the  legislature  of  Missouri,  setting  forth  the 
persecutions,  and  asking  that  body  for  a  redress  of  the  wrongs 
imposed  upon  them.  He  and  Bishop  Partridge  were  also 
appointed  to  write  a  petition  to  the  general  government.  El- 
der Taylor  was  among  the  number  who,  after  the  expulsion 
of  the  Saints  from  Missouri,  returned  to  Far  West  to  fulfill 
a  revelation  given  July  8th,  18.38,  that  the  Twelve  were  to  take 
their  departure  for  their  mission  to  Europe  on  April  26th, 
1839,  from  the  Temple  grounds  in  Far  West. 

On  August  8th,  Elder  Taylor  left  Nauvoo  for  England.  He 
was  sick  for  eleven  weeks  on  his  way.  He  left  his  family 
in  the  old  military  barracks  at  Montrose,  Iowa,  in  very  poor 
circumstances.  Most  of  the  Twelve,  and  many  of  the  Saints 
were  sick,  having  just  passed  through  the  persecutions  and 
hardships  attending  their  residence  in,  and  exodus  from  Mis- 
souri. Elder  Taylor  was  a  man  of  great  faith  in  God,  and  be- 
lieved thoroughly  in  preaching  the  Gospel  "without  purse  or 
scrip."  When  traveling  to  a  certain  destination,  if  he  had  but 
a  pittance,  he  would  purchase  with  that,  transportation  in  the 
best  conveyances  attainable.  When  his  means  were  exhausted, 
with  an  inexhaustible  etore  of  faith,  he  would  stop  sand 
preach  the  Gospel.  The  Lord  would  raise  up  friends  who 
would  give  him  money,  with  which  he  would  proceed  on  his 
journey.  In  doing  this,  he  would  never  ask  a  human  being 
for  help.  He  asked  the  Lord,  and  his  prayers  never  went  un- 
answered. His  course  was  pre-eminently  the  true  pattern 
which  should  be  followed  by  the  servants  of  the  Lord  in  mis- 
sionary work. 

When   they   were   about  to   sail   from   New  York   to  Liver- 


64  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

pool,  Elder  Taylor  and  two  other  brethren  were  almost  desti- 
tute of  means,  not  having  sufficient  to  pay  one  passage,  much 
less  three.  Notwithstanding  their  predicament,  a  very  short 
time  before  the  vessel  was  to  sail,  Elder  Taylor  told  one  of  his 
companions  to  go  and  engage  passage  for  all  three  to  Liverpool. 
His  fellow-laborers  were  non-plussed  and  asked  where  on  earth 
could  they  get  means  in  so  short  a  time.  Elder  Taylor  an- 
swered that  there  was  plenty  of  means  in  the  world  and  the 
Lord  would  send  them  enough  before  the  vessel  sailed  to  pay 
their  way.  His  words  were  most  signally  fulfilled.  He 
asked  no  person  for  money,  and  yet  immediately  after  he  made 
Hie  prediction,  one  after  another  came  to  them  and  proffered 
assistance,  until  enough  was  provided  to  meet  their  expenses 
to  Liverpool. 

Another  instance,  which  but  illustrates  the  constant  mani 
festations  of  Providence  which  characterized  his  entire  life, 
occurred  in  the  Isle  of  Man.  He  had  secured  the  printing  of 
some  tracts,  which  he  wrote  in  reply  to  the  falsehoods  circu- 
lated by  ministers  and  others,  regarding  the  character  and  doc- 
trines taught  by  the  Prophet  Joseph.  When  the  tracts  were 
ready,  the  printer  would  not  deliver  them  until  every  penny 
was  paid  which  was  due  him.  Elder  Taylor  did  not  have  suffi- 
cient to  meet  the  demand,  and  being  very  anxious  to  obtain  the 
tracts,  went  immediately  into  a  private  room,  and,  kneeling 
down,  told  the  Lord  in  plain  simplicity  exactly  how  much  he 
needed  to  pay  for  the  matter  he  had  published  in  defense  of 
his  cause.  In  a  few  minutes  after  his  prayer  was  offered,  a 
young  man  came  to  the  door,  and  upon  being  invited  to  enter, 
handed  Elder  Taylor  an  envelope  and  walked  out.  The  young 
man  was  unknown  to  him.  The  envelope  contained  some  money 
and  a  little  note  which  read :  "The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his 
hire,"  and  no  signature  was  placed  thereon.  In  a  few  minutes 
later,  a  poor  woman  engaged  as  a  fish  vendor  came  to  the 
house  and  offered  a  little  money  to  assist  him  in  his  ministerial 
labors.  He  told  her  there  was  plenty  of  money  in  the  world 
and  he  did  not  wish  to  take  hers.  She  insisted,  saying  the  Lord 
would  bless  her  the  more  and  she  would  be  the  happier  if 
he  would  accept  it,  whereupon  he  received  the  offering,  and  the 
poor  woman's  mite,  added  to  what  the  young  man  had  given 
him,  made  exactly  the  amount  sufficient  to  pay  the  printer. 


PRESIDENT  JOHN  TAYLOR.  65 

Elder  Taylor  arrived  in  Liverpool,  Jan.  llth,  1840,  and  imme- 
diately commenced  his  missionary  work,  preaching,  baptizing, 
organizing  branches,  and  with  his  brethren,  regulating  the 
Church  throughout  the  British  Isles.  He  introduced  the  Gospel 
into  Ireland  and  the  Isle  of  Man,  extending  his  labors  into 
Scotland.  He  corrected  the  proof  sheets  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  with  President  Young  and  Elder  Parley  P.  Pratt  prepared 
and  published  'the  first  edition  of  the  Latter-day  Saints'  Hymn 
Book.  After  a  very  active  and  successful  mission,  he  returned 
to  America,  arriving  in  Nauvoo  July  1st,  1841.  Elder  Taylor 
edited  the  last  three  volumes  of  the  Times  and  Seasons,  by 
appointment  of  the  Prophet.  He  also  edited  and  published  the 
Nauvoo  Neighbor.  He  was  also  a  city  councilman,  one  of  the 
regents  of  the  university,  and  judge  advocate  of  the  Nauvoo 
Legion,  all  of  which  positions  he  filled  with  ability  and  dis- 
tinction. 

Elders  Taylor  and  Richards  were  in  the  jail  with  Joseph  and 
Hyrurn  at  Carthage,  and  while  the  mob  were  forcing  the  door 
open  and  pushing  their  guns  through  the  opening,  Elder  Richards 
held  the  door  the  best  he  could,  while  Elder  Taylor  par- 
ried their  guns  off  as  much  as  possible  with  his  walking  cane. 
Of  a  sudden,  the  Prophet  Joseph  sprang  to  the  window  and 
leaped  out.  His  motive  in  doing  this  could  not  have  been  to 
save  his  life,  for  he  sprang  into  the  open  fire  of  his  enemies.  It 
must  have  been,  as  believed  by  Elders  Taylor  and  Richards, 
to  save  the  lives  of  the  two  last  named  brethren,  by  calling 
the  attention  of  the  mob  from  the  inside  to  the  outside  of 
the  building.  His  action  had  the  desired  effect,  for  instantly 
the  mob  rushed  from  the  stairway  of  the  jail  to  the  ground 
below,  and  concentrated  their  murderous  fury  upon  the  Prophet. 
Elder  Taylor  ran  to  the  window  and  was  shot  in  and  near  the 
thigh  with  four  balls.  He  was  about  to  fall  from  the  window, 
when  a  bullet  struck  his  watch  in  his  vest  pocket  and  forced 
him  back.  He  fell  upon  the  floor,  not  knowing  at  first  what  had 
forced  him  back,  and  thus  providentially  saved  his  life.  El- 
der Richards,  who  escaped  unhurt,  dragged  him  to  a  small 
room  and  covered  him  with  an  old  bed. 

The  mob  soon  dispersed  in  confusion,  and  as  soon  as  con- 
venient thereafter,  the  wounded  body  of  Elder  Taylor  was. 
removed  to  Nauvoo,  where  he  recovered,  but  carried  oae  or 
5 


66  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

more  ballets  to  his  grave,  forty-three  years  later.  He  was  a 
man  of  wonderful  vitality  and  nerve,  bearing  all  physical 
pains,  as  he  did  trials  and  tribulations  of  another  kind,  with 
fortitude  unexcelled.  Upon  his  restoration  to  health,  he  re- 
sumed the  performance  of  every  duty.  He  helped  the  Saints 
in  their  troubles  by  every  means  in  his  power,  assisted  in 
the  completion  of  the  Nauvoo  Temple,  and  suffered  the  trials 
of  another  great  exodus  when  the  Saints  wece  driven  from 
their  homes  in  Nauvoo.  He  journeyed  with  the  first  com- 
pany of  the  brethren  to  Winter  Quarters,  assisted  in  organ- 
izing the  Mormon  Battalion,  and  was,  from  that  point,  called 
with  Elders  Orson  Hyde  and  P.  P.  Pratt  on  a  mission  to  Great 
Britain.  He  responded  cheerfully,  again  leaving  his  family  iu 
the  wilderness  in  tents  and  wagons.  He  arrived  in  England 
Oct.  3d,  1846,  and  performed  an  excellent  work.  He  returned 
in  the  following  spring,  and  had  charge  of  a  large  company  of 
the  Saints  which  entered  Salt  Lake  Valley  in  the  fall  of  1847. 

In  pioneer,  exodus  life,  across  the  weary  plains,  on  foot  arid 
with  teams,  under  trying  ordeals,  as  in  all  other  experiences, 
John  Taylor  was  always  to  the  fore.  He  cheered  the  Saints 
by  faith-promoting  anecdotes  of  past  experience  and  history, 
and  with  prophetic  inspiration,  pointing  them  to  a  future 
of  long  respite  from  mob  violence.  He  could  compose  and 
sing  hymns  and  pleasant  songs  with  high  moral  sentiment 
embodied  in  them.  One  of  the  favorite  songs  he  used  to  sing, 
expresses  the  love  and  charity  of  this  man,  who  had  suffered 
even  the  shedding  of  his  blood  to  vindicate  correct  principle. 
It  was:  "Nay,  speak  no  ill,  but  rather  speak  of  all  the  best 
you  can."  There  was  nothing  of  a  pettish  or  groveling  char- 
acter in  his  nature.  He  spurned  every  sentiment  that  was 
low  or  dishonorable  in  thought,  word  or  deed.  His  lan- 
guage and  manner  of  address,  were  always  chaste  and  dignified 
to  the  fullest  extent. 

In  October,  1849,  Elder  Taylor  was  called  on  a  mission 
to  France,  which  he  filled  with  marked  ability  and  success. 
Upon  his  arrival  in  Boulogne,  he  was  challenged  to  a  discus- 
sion with  several  clergymen,  the  proceedings  of  which,  were 
published  in  pamphlet  form  in  Liverpool,  and  subsequently  in 
Orson  Pratt's  works.  His  opponents  found  themselves  utterly 
powerless  to  meet  him  upon  Scriptural  or  reasonable  grounds, 


PRESIDENT  JOHN   TAYLOR.  67 

and  speedily  resorted  to  subterfuges,  false  and  slanderous  re- 
ports, all  of  which  were  refuted  in  a  masterly  manner  by  El- 
der Taylor.  During  his  mission,  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  translated  into  French  and  German  under  his  direction, 
the  latter  being  published  in  Hamburg,  where  he  introduced 
the  Gospel.  He  also  edited  and  published  in  France,  a  monthly 
paper  called  L'Etoile  du  Deseret  ("The  Star  of  Deseret"),  and 
in  Germany  a  periodical  entitled  "Ziori's  Power."  During  his 
labors,  several  branches  of  the  Church  were  organized  in 
France.  He  also  wrote,  while  upon  this  mission,  and  published 
it  after  his  return,  the  sublime  treatise  entitled  "The  Govern- 
ment of  God." 

Elder  Taylor  returned  to  Salt  Lake  Valley  Aug.  20th,  1852. 

In  1854  he  went  on  a  mission  to  New  York,  and  to  pre- 
side over  the  Church  in  the  Eastern  States.  At  that  particular 
time,  heavy  attacks  were  being  made  upon  the  Latter-day 
Saints  through  the  press.  Elder  Taylor  published  a  paper 
called  "The  Mormon,"  in  New  York  City,  establishing  his 
headquarters  near  the  office  of  the  noted  writer  and  editor, 
James  Gordon  Bennett,  to  whose  attacks  Elder  Taylor  replied 
in  such  a  vigorous  manner,  as  to  surprise  the  anti-"Morrnon" 
element  in  that  city.  His  arguments  were  unanswerable,  and 
as  usual  the  opponents  of  the  truth  resorted  to  falsehood  and 
buffoonery.  He  continued  "The  Mormon"  until  1857,  when  he 
was  called  home  on  account  of  the  threatened  war  against  the 
Saints,  under  the  administration  of  President  Buchanan. 

Elder  Taylor's  replies  to  Vice-President  Schuyler  Colfax's 
unwarranted  attacks  upon  the  Saints,  exhibit  the  fearless  charac- 
ter of  the  man,  as  well  as  the  clearness  of  his  mind  in  pene- 
trating the  right  and  wrong  side  of  every  proposition  under  con- 
sideration. 

From  1857  on,  for  many  years,  his  time  was  occupied  in  trav- 
eling, preaching,  organizing  and  regulating  the  church  in  the 
various  settlements  of  the  Saints.  He  was  many  times  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Utah  legislature,  and  speaker  of  the  house.  As  a 
legislator  he  showed  marked  ability. 

At  the  death  of  President  Young  in  1877,  Elder  Taylor  was 
president  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  and  in  October,  1880,  was 
sustained  as  President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints,  and  Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator  to  the  Church 


68  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

in  all  the  world.    Apostles  Geo.  Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F.  Smith 
were  chosen  as  his  counselors. 

President  Taylor  presided  over  the  Church  with  dignity  and 
ability.  He  traveled  and  visited  the  Saints,  as  far  as  circum- 
stances would  permit.  When  the  crusade  against  plural  mar- 
riage came,  to  be  waged  with  bitterness  under  the  rule  of  the 
Edmunds-Tucker  act,  President  Taylor,  to  prevent  trouble 
and  to  place  himself  beyond  the  possibility  of  prosecution  for 
an  infraction  of  the  law,  and  rather  than  live  with  one  family 
to  the  exclusion  of  the  rest,  occupied  the  Gardo  House,  Salt 
Lake  City,  having  for  his  housekeeper  his  venerable  sister, 
Agnes  Schwartz,  while  all  his  families  occupied  their  own  homes. 
Yet,  notwithstanding  his  observance  of  the  law,  his  enemies 
were  determined  to  arrest  him,  and  if  possible  precipitate  an 
eruption,  which  would  give  them  a  pretense  for  still  stronger 
measures  to  oppress  the  Saintjs.  'Upon  h;is  return  from 
Arizona  and  California  in  1885,  he  appeared  in  the  larg.:- 
tabernacle  February  1st,  and  preached  his  last  public  discourse 
in  that  building.  It  was  a  powerful  address,  exhorting  the 
Saints  to  faithfulness  and  forbearance,  long  suffering  and 
charity  in  their  trials.  From  this  time  on  until  his  de- 
cease he  lived  in  exile,  attending,  however,  from  his  place  of 
seclusion,  by  letters,  epistles  and  otherwise,  to  his  public  du- 
ties. During  his  exile,  one  of  his  wives  was  called  to  the 
spirit  world,  after  a  season  of  illness.  During  her  sickness 
he  was  prevented  from  seeing  her,  as  her  home  was  closely 
watched  by  despicable  "spotters."  Being  denied  necessary  ex- 
ercise to  which  he  was  accustomed,  he  became  enfeebled  in 
body  and  his  life  shortened.  He  died  in  exile  July  25th, 
1887,  truly  a  double  martyr.  His  blood  was  shed  in  Car 
thage  jail,  Illinois;  his  life  was  shortened  by  exclusion  from 
home,  under  the  oppression  of  unjust  men  and  measures. 
His  funeral  a  few  days  later  was  attended  by  many  thousands 
of  Saints,  who  loved  him  in  life  and  revere  his  memory  in  death. 


PRESIDENT  WILFORD  WOODRUFF. 

The  great  and  good  man,  WILFORD  WOODRUFF,  was  the  fourth 
President  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 
He  was"  born  March  1st,  1807,  in  Farmington,  now  called  Avoi', 
Hartford  county,  Connecticut.  Like  his  predecessors  in  the 
prophetic  office  of  the  Church,  he  came  of  a  sturdy,  industrious 
race.  His  progenitors  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  New 
England.  They  figured  nobly  in  the  American  Revolution, 
and  naturally  transmitted  to  posterity,  a  love  of  liberty  and 
traits  which  go  to  make  patriots  and  martyrs.  Wilford  Wood- 
ruff possessed  all  these  admirable  qualities  of  character.  These 
were  crowned  with  a  veneration  for  God,  and  a  strong  religious 
element  in  his  being  led  in  early  youth  to  the  consideration  of 
spiritual  subjects.  He  was  also  very  industrious.  His  father, 
Aphek  Woodruff,  was  a  miller,  and  Wilford  assisted  him  in 
running  the  Farmington  grist  mills,  and,  though  tender  in  years, 
proved  himself  a  man  in  thought  and  labor. 

Although  of  a  religious  inclination,  Wilford  Woodruff  did  not 
join  any  denomination  until  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age,  be- 
cause he  found  none  which  harmonized  in  doctrine  and  organiza- 
tion with  the  Church  of  Christ  as  described  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. When  only  a  boy,  he  would  ask  his  Sunday  school 
teacher  why  there  were  no  Apostles  and  Prophets  in  his  age,  as 
in  olden  times.  The  answer  he  received  only  tended  to  disgust 
him  with  sectarianism.  It  was  the  same  old  story,  "Apostles 
and  Prophets  are  all  done  away  with,  because  they  are  no 
longer  needed ;"  and  yet  with  all  the  learning  of  modern  minis 
ters,  they  were  unable  to  come  to  a  unity  of  the  faith  as  taught, 
by  the  Savior  and  his  Apostles.  Under  these  circumstances 
Wilford  could  only  turn  to  the  Lord  in  prayer  for  guidance, 
and  find  comfort  in  reading  and  believing  the  prophecies  and 
doctrines  of  the  Holy  Bible.  In  1832  he  felt  a  strong  inspiration 
to  go  to  Rhode  Island  ;  but  having  already  arranged  to  move  with 
his  brother,  Azmon  Woodruff,  to  Richland,  Oswego  county, 
New  York,  he  did  not  heed  the  inspiration  to  visit  Rhode  Island, 
but  moved  to  the  former  place. 


70  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1833,  over  a  year  from  the  time 
they  left  Connecticut,  two  Elders,  Zera  Pulsipher  and  Elijah 
Cheeney,  came  preaching  that  an  angel  had  visited  the  earth, 
restored  the  everlasting  Gospel,  and  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a 
Prophet  of  the  Lord.  Wilford  and  Azmon  Woodruff  went  to 
hear  them,  immediately  receiving  a  testimony  of  the  genuineness 
of  their  message,  and  offered  themselves  for  baptism.  Wilford 
was  baptized  into  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  December  31st,  1833,  by  Zera  Pulsipher.  He  and  his 
brother,  who  also  embraced  the  Gospel,  immediately  read  the 
Book  of  Mormon  and  received  a  testimony  of  its  truth. 

About  this  time  Brother  Woodruff  learned,  that  at  the  time  he 
received  the  impression  to  visit  Rhode  Island,  there  were  Elders 
preaching  in  that  State,  and,  had  he  gone  there,  the  opportunity 
to  receive  the  Gospel  would  have  been  afforded  him  one  year 
earlier.  However,  his  prayers  were  answered ;  the  truth  had 
come.  He  lived  in  a  day  of  Apostles,  Prophets,  gifts  and  bless- 
ings, and  his  joy  was  indescribable.  From  that  hour  until  he 
departed  for  a  better  sphere,  Wilford  Woodruff  proved,  by  a  life 
of  devotion  to  the  cause  of  God,  that  he  was  grateful  for  his 
existence  in  this  age  of  the  world.  As  a  peculiar  coincidence, 
when  Joseph,  the  Prophet,  was  writing  his  journal  some  time 
later,  having  learned  of  Brother  Woodruff's  embracing  the 
Gospel,  and  notwithstanding  hundreds  were  being  baptized, 
arid  not  knowing  him,  wrote  under  date  of  December  31st, 
1833:  "This  day  Wilford  Woodruff  was  baptized/'  To  those 
who  note  the  purpose  of  the  Almighty  in  the  destiny  and  his- 
tory of  him  and  his  companion  Prophets,  this  brief  statement 
of  Joseph  Smith  may  be  truly  taken  as  prophetic,  indicative  of 
the  great  character  that  Wilford  Woodruff  proved  to  be,  and 
foreshadowing  his  great  destiny  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  in  the 
last  days.  January  2d,  1834,  a  branch  was  organized  in  Rich- 
land  and  Brother  Woodruff  was  ordained  a  Teacher.  In  Feb- 
ruary, he  walked  sixty  miles  to  visit  the  Saints  in  the  town  of 
Fabius  with  Elder  Holton.  During  this  winter  Elder  Parley  P. 
Pratt  and  others  visited  Richland.  Elder  Pratt  became  much 
impressed  with  Brother  Woodruff,  and  immediately  told  him  that 
his  duty  was  to  repair  to  Kirtland,  join  Zion's  Camp,  and  go  with 
that  body  to  Missouri.  He  took  this  counsel,  closed  his  business 
in  Richland,  and  left  for  Kirtland,  where  he  arrived  April  25th, 


WILFORD  WOODRUFF. 


72  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

3834.  He  was  invited  to  be  the  guest  of  the  Prophet  Joseph, 
which  invitation  he  accepted,  and  enjoyed  himself  in  his  ac- 
quaintance with  the  Prophet  and  other  leading  men  of  the 
Church.  May  1st,  1834,  he  started  with  Zion's  Camp  for  Mis 
souri,  which  journey  was  accomplished  with  considerable  hard- 
ship, but  throughout  all  the  varied  experiences  incidental  to  the 
journey,  Wilford  Woodruff  was,  like  Caleb  and  Joshua,  among 
the  number  who  sustained  the  Prophet,  and  who  never  com- 
plained or  murmured  because  of  trial  and  privation.  This 
experience  served  to  prove  the  mettle  of  the  men  and  to  prepare 
them  for  positions  of  responsibility  in  the  Church.  After  they 
had  accomplished  all  that  could  be  done  as  a  body,  the  Prophet 
advised  the  young  men  without  families  to  remain  in  Missouri. 
Brother  Woodruff  sojourned  with  Lyman  Wight  in  Clay  county, 
spending  the  summer  quarrying  rock,  cutting  wheat,  making 
brick  and  in  other  kinds  of  hard  manual  labor. 

During  this  time  he  was  possessed  of  a  strong  desire  to  go 
into  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel,  but  did  not  express  his 
desires  lest  he  should  be  considered  aspiring,  this  being  farthest 
from  his  humble,  unassuming  disposition.  The  Lord,  however, 
knew  the  honest  desire  of  his  heart,  and  one  day,  while  walking 
along  the  road,  he  was  met  by  one  of  the  leading  Elders  in  that 
section,  wrho  said  to  him :  "Brother  Woodruff,  it  is  the  will 
of  the  Lord  that  you  should  be  ordained  a  Priest  and  go  on  a 
mission."  Brother  Woodruff  answered,  "I  am  ready."  He  was 
so  ordained  and  went  on  a  mission  to  Arkansas  and  Tennessee ; 
this  was  in  the  fall  of  1834.  Among  the  remarkable  experiences 
of  this  mission,  he  was  grossly  assailed  by  an  apostate  named 
Akernan,  who,  when  Brother  Woodruff  was  leaving  his  premises, 
came  towards  him  in  a  savage  manner  as  if  to  do  him  violence ; 
when  of  a  sudden,  the  apostate  fell  dead  at  the  feet  of  this  hum- 
ble servant  of  the  Lord.  This  event  had  been  shown  to  Brother 
Woodruff  in  a  dream,  though  he  did  not  understand  the  full 
import  thereof  until  it  was  fulfilled.  He  and  his  companion 
traveled  on  foot  without  purse  or  scrip,  going  through  Jackson 
county,  Missouri,  where  it  was  dangerous  for  a  Latter-day 
Saint  to  be  seen,  and  were  frequently  preserved  by  Providence 
from  mobocrats. 

Brother  Woodruff's  first  attempt  at  preaching  was  at  a  tavern, 
one  Sunday  in  December,  1834.  He  was  weary  from  a  long 


PRESIDENT   WILFORD   WOODRUFF.  73 

walk  through  mud  and  slush,  but  the  people  desired  to  hear  him. 
He  enjoyed  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  speaking  with 
freedom  and  power,  testifying  to  the  restoration  of  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel.  In  their  travels,  he  and  his  companion  fre- 
quently lost  their  way,  and  were  obliged  to  wade  swamps,  and  to 
avoid  expenses,  would  travel  down  some  of  the  rivers  in  small 
canoes.  Between  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  and  Memphis,  Tenn.,  they 
became  exhausted  while  crossing  an  alligator  swamp.  Brother 
Woodruff's  companion  left  him  in  the  swamp  suffering  with  a 
severe  pain  in  his  back.  He  knelt  down  in  the  mud  and  prayed 
intently,  when  the  Lord  healed  him  and  he  went  on  his  way 
rejoicing.  They  were  joined  by  Elder  Warren  Parrish  in  April, 
1835,  and  traveled  together  over  seven  hundred  miles  in  less 
than  four  months,  preaching  the  Gospel  every  day.  They 
baptized  twenty  persons  in  their  travels.  Elder  Parrish  also 
ordained  Brother  Woodruff  an  Elder,  placing  him  in  charge  of 
the  branches  they  had  organized  in  Tennessee.  After  Elder 
Woodruff  was  left  to  travel  alone,  he  extended  his  field  of  labor, 
and  baptized  a  number  of  converts,  among  whom  were  several 
persons  of  the  Campbellite  persuasion.  In  1835,  he  traveled 
3,248  miles,  baptized  forty-three  persons,  organized  three 
branches  and  held  one  hundred  seventy  meetings.  Subse- 
vjuently,  in  the  spring  of  1836,  he  traveled  respectively,  with 
A.  O.  Smoot  and  Apostle  David  W.  Patten. 

After  performing  a  faithful  two  years'  mission,  assisting  in 
the  conversion  and  baptism  of  many  souls,  Elder  Woodruff  re- 
turned to  Kirtland,  Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1836.  In  May  of  that; 
year,  he  was  ordained  into  the  second  quorum  of  Seventy  by 
Apostle  Patten  and  Warren  Parrish.  There  he  received  his 
endowments,  as  far  as  they  were  given  in  the  Kirtland  Temple, 
and  attended  school.  On  the  13th  of  April,  he  married  Phebe  W. 
Carter  of  the  State  of  Maine.  A  few  days  later,  he  received  a 
remarkable  patriarchal  blessing,  under  the  hands  of  the  Patriarch 
Joseph  Smith,  Sr.,  in  which  much  of  his  future  life  was  plainly 
foretold. 

During  the  troubles  of  1837,  when  many  leading  men  became 
embittered  against  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  Wilford  Woodruff 
was  among  the  number  who  murmured  not,  and  was  true  to 
the  Prophet  of  the  Lord.  In  May,  1837,  he  started  on  a 
mission  to  Fox  Islands.  En  route,  he  preached  the  Gospel  to 


74  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

his  relatives  in  Connecticut  and  baptized  a  number  of  them. 
On  August  20th,  1837,  he  and  Jonathan  H.  Hale  landed  on 
North  Fox  Island,  where  they  immediately  commenced  preaching 
the  Gospel.  The  first  fruits  of  their  labors  was  the  conversion  of 
Justin  Eames,  a  sea  captain,  and  his  wife,  who  were  baptized 
Sept.  3rd,  being  the  first  to  embrace  the  Gospel,  in  this  dispensa- 
tion, upon  an  island  of  the  sea.  "Great  are  the  promises  of  the 
Lord  unto  they  who  are  upon  the  Isles  of  the  Sea."— (Nephi.) 
Since  that  mission,  the  isles  of  the  sea  have  sent  forth  many 
souls  to  the  fold  of  the  Good  Sliepherd.  A  Baptist  minister  by 
the  name  of  Newton,  allowed  them  to  preach  in  his  chapel,  but  he 
opposed  them,  and  was  humiliated  by  seeing  the  best  of  his 
flock  leave  him  and  embrace  the  Gospel  as  taught  by  these  Elders. 
Elder  Ozro  O.  Crockett,  of  Preston,  Idaho,  who  recently  did 
missionary  work  upon  Fox  Islands,  testifies  that  the  aged  people 
who  lived  on  the  islands  over  sixty  years  ago,  still  remember 
Elder  Woodruff  and  the  remarkable  work  he  and  Elder  Hale 
did  in  that  land,  and  the  most  conspicuous  features  of  Elder 
Woodruff's  labors  in  their  recollection  is,  that  he  baptized  the 
best  citizens  and  neighbors  they  had  on  the  island.  Two 
branches  of  the  Church  were  organized,  and  the  two  Elders  re- 
turned to  Scarborough,  Maine,  in  October. 

Elders  Woodruff  and  Hale  having  parted,  the  former  returned 
to  Fox  Islands  in  November,  this  time  accompanied  by  his  wife. 
He  continued  missionary  work,  baptizing  a  goodly  number,  until 
persecution  became  so  intense  that  he  deemed  it  wise  to  return 
to  Maine.  Accompanied  by  Elder  James  Townsend,  he  intro- 
duced the  Gospel  into  the  city  of  Bangor  and  other  places. 
From  this  labor  he  returned  to  Fox  Islands.  In  harmony  with 
counsel  from  the  Prophet  Joseph,  he  advised  the  Saints  to  sell 
their  property,  and  accompany  him  to  the  land  of  Zion.  Early 
in  1838  he  visited  Providence,  New  York,  Boston  and  his  native 
town,  Farmington,  Conn.  In  this  place  he  preached  the  Gospel, 
baptized  his  father,  step-mother,  sister  and  other  relatives,  and 
organized  a  branch  of  the  church.  Bidding  his  relatives  a  loving 
farewell,  he  returned  to  Scarborough,  Maine,  where  his  firsr 
child,  a  daughter,  was  born,  July  14th,  1838.  He  again  visited 
Fox  Islands  to  encourage  the  Saints  and  prepare  them  for  gath- 
ering to  Missouri. 

While  laboring  in  North  Vinal  Haven,  August  9th,  1838,  he 


PRESIDENT  WILFORD   WOODRUFF.  75 

received  an  official  communication  from  Thos.  B.  Marsh,  Presi 
dent  of  the  Twelve,  stating  that  he  had  been  called  by  revelation 
to  bear  the  Apostleship,  and  occupy  a  place  in  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve.  Thus  his  early  dreams  of  Apostolic  days  were  coming 
to  a  living  reality,  in  which  he  himself  was  to  be  one  of  the 
Apostles.  He  was  requested  to  come  to  Far  West,  Missouri, 
as  soon  as  he  could  arrange  his  affairs.  He  was  told  that  ho 
should  prepare  himself  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  Great  Britain 
with  his  associates,  the  Twelve,  the  following  year.  With  great 
promptness  he  set  about  preparing  the  Saints  on  Fox  Islands  to 
gather  to  Missouri.  About  one  hundred  people  had  embraced 
the  Gospel,  chiefly  through  his  labors.  About  fifty  of  these  pre- 
pared to  gather  with  him  to  Missouri.  Brother  Nathaniel 
Thomas  sold  his  property  and  assisted  his  brethren  and  sisters, 
loaning  them  about  $2,000,  which  was  placed  in  the  hands  ol 
Elder  Woodruff  for  their  benefit.  With  this  he  purchased  ten 
wagons,  ten  sets  of  harness  and  twenty  horses.  When  he  had 
done  all  he  could  to  make  ready  the  Saints,  he  preceded  them  to 
Scarborough,  Maine,  to  prepare  his  own  family  for  the  journey. 
The  company  were  counseled  by  President  Woodruff  to  start  by 
September  1st,  but  they  failed  to  do  so,  and  did  not  leave  until 
the  early  part  of  October.  In  consequence  of  this  late  start, 
the  journey  was  attended  by  many  difficulties.  While  crossing 
Green  Mountains  Elder  Woodruff  was  taken  very  sick.  A 
little  later  his  wife  was  stricken  down  and  came  nigh  to  the 
gates  of  death.  Both  were,  however,  restored  to  health  by  tba 
power  of  the  Almighty. 

Respecting  this  new  experience  of  migration,  of  which  he  did 
so  much  in  later  years,  Elder  Woodruff  wrote  the  following  in 
his  journal :  "On  the  afternoon  of  October  9th,  we  took  leave 
of  Father  Carter  and  family  in  Scarborough  and  started  upon 
our  journey  of  two  thousand  miles  at  this  late  season  of  the 
year,  taking  my  wife  with  a  nursing  babe  at  her  breast  with  me, 
to  lead  a  company  of  fifty-three  souls  in  their  journey  from 
Maine  to  Illinois,  to  spend  nearly  three  months  in  traveling  in 
wagons  through  rain,  mud.  snow  and  frost." 

Upon  arriving  at  Rochester,  Illinois,  December  19th,  1838,  he 
learned  of  the  persecutions  and  unsettled  condition  of  affairs  in 
Missouri,  and  concluded  to  stop  in  tha£  place  the  rest  of  the 
winter.  In  the  spring  of  1839  he  removed  his  family  to  Quincy, 


76  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Illinois,  and  from  that  point  accompanied  the  Twelve  to  Far 
West.  He  was  ordained  with  Elder  George  A.  Smith  to  the 
Apostleship,  April  26th,  1839,  on  the  Temple  site,  by  President 
Brigham  Young,  assisted  by  other  members  of  the  Twelve. 
After  returning  from  Missouri  he  moved  his  family  to  Montrose, 
Iowa,  where  he  was  severely  attacked  with  chills  and  fever. 
While  still  sick  he  started,  August  8th,  1839,  on  his  mission  to 
England,  leaving  his  wife  also  sick  and,  like  all  the  families  of 
the  Twelve,  in  destitute  circumstances  so  far  as  temporal  necessi- 
ties were  concerned.  To  New  York  he  traveled  with  private  con- 
veyance, by  stage,  on  foot  and  as  best  he  could.  In  company  with 
Elders  John  Taylor  and  Theodore  Turley  he  arrived  in  Liverpool, 
England  January  llth,  1840,  having  been  five  months  accom- 
plishing the  journey ;  the  Elders,  who  now  go  to  Europe  from 
Salt  Lake  City,  perform  it  in  about  two  weeks  and  under  palatial 
circumstances  compared  with  those  surrounding  Elder  Wood- 
ruff and  his  companions  sixty  years  ago.  He  was  assigned  to 
labor  in  the  Staffordshire  Potteries,  where  he  was  successful. 
In  the  following  March  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  prompted  him 
to  go  south.  He  had  plenty  to  do  where  he  was,  but  he  heard 
the  voice  of  the  Spirit  and  obeyed.  He  went  to  Worcester, 
where  he  met  Mr.  John  Benbow,  a  wealthy  farmer,  who  told 
him  that  in  that  vicinity  there  were  about  six  hundred  people, 
including  forty-five  ministers,  who  had  withdrawn  from  the 
Wesleyan  Methodists  for  the  purpose  of  an  independent  research 
after  truth.  They  owned  several  houses  of  worship,  and  styled 
themselves  "The  United  Brethren."  Elder  Woodruff  commenced 
at  once  to  lay  before  these  people  the  truth  as  God  revealed  it  to 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  bearing  witness  as  an  Apostle  of  the 
Lord  to  the  ministry  of  Angels  and  complete  restoration  of  the 
ancient  Gospel  in  these  last  days. 

The  ministry  of  Elder  Woodruff  was  not  accompanied  with 
the  eloquence  of  speech  nor  the  well-skilled  argument  which 
attends  the  labors  of  some  men,  but  there  was  an  earnestness 
in  his  talk  and  an  honest,  straightforward,  God-like  simplicity 
in  his  simple  statement  of  truth,  attended  by  the  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  that  carried  early  conviction  to  the  hearts  of 
all  who  were  honestly  seeking  after  truth.  In  eight  months' 
labor,  chiefly  by  Elder  Woodruff  in  Herefordshire,  Worcester- 
shire and  Gloucestershire,  eighteen  hundred  people  were  brought 


PRESIDENT   WILFORD   WOODRUFF.  77 

into  the  Church.  This  included  the  six  hundred  United 
Brethren.  Two  large  conferences  were  organized.  In  August, 
1840,  Elder  Woodruff  accompanied  Elders  H.  C.  Kimball  and 
Geo.  A.  Smith  to  London,  where  they  introduced  the  Gospel 
under  very  difficult  circumstances.  On  the  last  day  of  August, 
1.840,  the  first  convert  in  London  was  baptized.  His  name  was 
Henry  Connor. 

While  in  England,  the  adversary  made  desperate  efforts  to 
impede  the  progress  of  the  Elders  in  their  ministry.  At  one 
time  evil  spirits  attacked  Apostles  Woodruff  and  Smith  in  a 
physical  manner,  when  by  the  exercise  of  faith  and  the  authority 
of  God,  the  spirits  departed.  Brother  Woodruff  saw  them 
as  plainly  as  he  could  see  the  beings  of  people  tabernacled 
in  the  flesh.  After  a  very  prosperous  mission  he  returned 
to  America,  arriving  in  New  York  May  20th,  1841,  meet- 
ing his  wife  at  Scarborough,  Maine,  after  two  years'  ab- 
sence. A  month  later  he  and  his  wife  returned  to  Nauvoo, 
where  they  arrived  October  5th,  and  were  heartily  welcomed 
home  by  the  Prophet  Joseph.  Elder  Woodruff  became  a  member 
of  the  city  council  of  Nauvoo  and  served  the  interests  of  the 
city  with  energy  and  efficiency.  He  received  his  endowments  in 
the  Nauvoo  Temple  under  the  direction  of  the  Prophet.  He 
built  a  brick  dwelling  for  himself  and  family  on  a  lot  given  him 
by  Joseph.  His  Nauvoo  residence,  like  that  of  many  of  the 
leaders  of  the  Church,  still  remains  in  a  state  of  fairly  good 
preservation. 

In  the  spring  of  1844,  Elder  Woodruff  was  called  on  another 
mission  to  the  Eastern  States.  When  about  to  take  passage  on 
a  steamer  from  Portland,  Maine,  to  Fox  Islands,  he  learned  of 
the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum.  He  went  to  Boston 
immediately,  met  in  council  with  the  Twelve  and  went  with 
them  at  once  to  Nauvoo,  where  he  arrived  on  August  6th,  1811, 
and  took  part  with  his  brethren  of  the  Twelve  in  presiding  over 
the  affairs  of  the  Church.  Brother  Woodruff  was  a  personal 
witness  to  the  power  of  God  as  it  rested  upon  President  Brig- 
ham  Young,  on  the  occasion  when  the  latter  was  transfigured 
in  the  presence  of  the  people,  so  that  he  appeared  in  person 
similar  to  and  spoke  as  with  the  voice  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith. 

On  August  12th,  1844,  Apostle  Woodruff  was  called  to  preside 


78  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

over  the  British  mission,  departing  from  Nauvoo  August  28th, 
1844,  and  reaching  Liverpool  January  3d,  1845.  He  presided 
with  ability  and  much  industry  over  the  mission  about  one  year, 
when  he  returned  to  Nauvoo,  early  in  1846,  just  in  time  to  par- 
ticipate with  the  Saints  in  their  great  exodus  to  the  west.  They 
left  their  homes  and  property  under  trying  ordeals,  to  the  dis- 
position of  their  enemies,  very  few  receiving  more  than  a 
nominal  price  for  their  hard-earned  possessions.  Brother 
Woodruff  was  active  in  helping  the  Saints  to  migrate,  not  only 
looking  to  the  comfort  of  himself  and  family,  but  to  the  well- 
being  of  his  brethren  and  sisters  on  every  hand. 

Early  in  1S47  he  joined  the  Pioneer  company,  consisting  of 
140  men  and  boys  and  three  women.  After  a  toilsome  journey, 
they  entered  the  valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake  on  July  24th, 
1847 — a  day  never  to  be  forgotten  and  to  be  handed  down  to  nil 
generations  of  the  Saints  as  one  day  of  rejoicing  and  celebration. 
Utah  was  then  Mexican  soil,  but  the  Mormcn  Battalion  helped  to 
make  it  a  part  of  American  soil.  The  stars  and  stripes  were  soon 
unfurled  by  the  loyal,  patriotic  Pioneers  and  the  foundation  of 
a  great  Western  commonwealth  established,  in  its  destiny  to  be- 
come the  pride  of  all  honorable  and  upright  people  in  our  broad 
land  of  liberty. 

President  Young  was  in  feble  health  when  the  Pioneers  entered 
the  valley,  and  Apostle  Woodruff  had  the  honor  of  conveying  him 
in  his  carriage  the  balance  of  the  journey.  In  1847  he  returned 
to  Winter  Quarters,  being  present  December  5th,  1847,  when 
Brigham  Young  was  made  President  of  the  Church.  He  labored 
with  his  hands  as  well  as  his  head.  Much  younger  men  than 
he  were  not  his  equals  in  the  performance  of  heavy  labor.  No 
class  of  labor,  however  laborious  or  undesirable,  which  was 
honorable  in  the  sight  of  God,  would  Wilford  Woodruff  ask  any 
man  to  do  if  he  would  not  do  it  himself.  He  made  ditches, 
watered  and  pruned  the  trees  and  bushes  of  his  orchard,  made 
roads,  built  bridges,  hauled  wood  from  the  canyon,  made  adobes 
and  did  all  forms  of  manual  labor  which  came  his  way.  There 
was  not  a  careless  thought  in  his  brain,  not  a  useless  or  impure 
sentiment  in  his  heart,  not  an  idle  bone  or  a  drop  of  sluggish 
blood  in  his  body.  He  was  honest,  unassuming,  faithful  and 
industrious.  He  had  been  designated  in  the  days  of  Joseph  as 
"Wilford  the  Faithful."  He  deserved  such  a  title,  and  main- 


PRESIDENT   WILFORD   WOODRUFF.  79 

tained  it  to  the  end.  His  industry  was  so  conspicuous  a  part 
of  his  being  that  when,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  one  of  his 
grandsons  excelled  him  a  very  little  in  hoeing  some  vegetables 
in  the  garden,  he  said  with  a  touch  of  humiliation :  "Well,  it  is 
the  first  time  in  my  life  that  one  of  my  children  has  ever  outdone 
me  in  hoeing." 

When  John  Taylor  succeeded  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Church, 
Elder  Woodruff  became  the  President  of  the  Twelve  Apostles, 
which  place  he  occupied  with  honor.  Subsequent  to  the  decease 
of  President  Taylor,  in  1889,  he  became  the  President  of  and 
Prophet,  Seer  and  Revelator  to  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints.  During  his  Presidency  of  the  Twelve,  Presi- 
dent Woodruff  spent  much  of  his  time  in  exile,  owing  to  the 
unholy  crusade  against  the  Saints.  In  this  time,  like  John  the 
Revelator,  he  was  favored  with  visions  and  revelations  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  On  one  occasion  the  departed  Prophet,  President 
Young,  appeared  to  him  as  he  traveled  along  a  road  in  Arizona, 
to  attend  a  conference,  and  urged  upon  President  Woodruff  the 
necessity  of  the  Saints  to  more  thoroughly  secure  the  companion- 
ship of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  keep  it  in  them. 

President  Woodruff  was  greatly  interested  in  the  salvation  of 
the  dead.  Combining  works  with  his  faith,  he  secured  from  New- 
England  much  genealogical  information  concerning  his  dead 
progenitors,  and  for  their  salvation  he  would  labor  in  the 
Temple.  About  this  time  one  of  his  choicest  and  most  spiritual- 
minded  sons,  Brigham  Y.  Woodruff,  was  drowned  in  Bear 
river,  Cache  valley.  Brother  Woodruff,  having  expected  mucii 
for  the  future  of  his  son,  was  very  much  grieved  because  of  his 
death.  Although  he  never  murmured  at  the  providences  of  the 
Almighty,  he  inquired  of  the  Lord  to  know  why  it  should  be 
thus.  The  Lord  revealed  to  him  that,  as  he  was  doing  such  an 
extensive  work  in  the  Temple  for  the  dead,  his  son  Brigham 
was  needed  in  the  spirit  world  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  labor 
among  those  relatives  there.  He  had  a  similar  manifestation 
subsequent  to  the  decease  of  Apostle  Abraham  H.  Cannon. 

President  Woodruff  did  much  to  encourage  the  cause  of 
Church  and  secular  education,  making,  as  trustee  in  trust,  as 
liberal  appropriations  as  the  Church  could  afford  to  sustain  the 
Stake  academies  and  other  Church  schools.  In  1890  President 
Woodruff  issued  the  manifesto  respecting  the  discontinuance 


80  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

of  plural  marriages  in  the  United  States,  and  later  the  address 
which  teaches  that  men  who  are  called  to  spend  all  their  time 
in  the  ministry,  shall  not  run  into  politics  to  the  neglect  of  their 
spiritual  calling  without  being  properly  released  for  that  pur- 
pose. This  does  not  abridge  the  rights  of  any  man,  since  it  is 
no  part  of  a  citizen's  duty  to  seek  for  office.  Up  to  his  death 
he  was  President  of  the  organization  instituted  by  President 
Young,  and  known  as  the  Young  'Men's  Mutual  Improvement 
Associations.  He  showed  great  love  for  the  young  people.  In 
this  capacity,  he  was  greatly  loved  and  respected  by  them. 

Inasmuch  as  a  certain  class  of  people  in  the  United  States 
who  are  not  Latter-day  Saints  claim  to  believe  in  the  divine 
mission  of  Joseph  Smith,  and  yet  deny  the  succession  of 
authority  to  President  Young,  and  also  attribute  to  President 
Young  the  authorship  of  doctrine  revealed  to  Joseph  Smith  the 
Prophet,  we  here  introduce  the  testimony  of  President  Wilford 
Woodruff.  Be  it  remembered  that  he  was  an  Apostle  for  five 
years  before  the  Prophet's  martyrdom,  and  consequently  was 
his  associate,  a  personal  witness  of  the  Prophet's  teachings,  and 
the  last  remaining  Apostle,  at  his  death,  who  held  the  Apostle- 
ship  in  the  days  of  the  Prophet  Joseph.  This  testimony  was 
borne  to  200  young  men  by  the  Prophet  Wilford  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years,  when  he  soon  expected  to  stand  in  the  presence 
of  the  Redeemer  and  give  an  account  of  every  word  spoken  and 
every  deed  done  in  the  body.  At  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  meeting  of 
May,  1898,  President  Woodruff  addressed  the  meeting  and 
said :  "I  am  deeply  interested  in  the  position  we  occupy.  The 
Lord  had  appointed  the  place  we  are  in,  when  the  blessings  were 
given  of  Joseph.  We  are  the  sons  of  Joseph.  Here  is  the  place 
where  we  are  going  to  stay.  No  power  beneath  the  heavens  will 
ever  drive  this  people  from  these  mountains. 

"This  was  a  desert  when  we  came  here.  President  Young 
went  to  work  with  a  will  like  a  man.  I  was  with  him  when  he 
took  his  first  walk  from  his  carriage  across  the  site  where  this 
city  now  stands.  When  he  reached  the  place  where  tbe  Temple 
now  stands  he  stuck  his  cane  into  the  ground  and  said :  'Here 
will  be  buih  the  Temple  of  our  God.'  I  thought  that  was  a 
strange  prediction,  but  I  lost  no  time  until  I  cut  a  sage  stake 
and  drove  it  into  the  very  spot  where  he  had  marked.  That 
was  before  any  survey  or  any  street  had  been  made,  and  on  that 


PRESIDENT   WILFORD   WOODRUFF.  81 

spot,  indicated  by  Brigham  Young,  and  where  I  drove  the  stake, 
the  Temple  now  stands.  Men  tried  to  persuade  President 
Young  to  go  to  California,  but  he  replied,  'I'm  going  to  stay  here, 
to  build  a  city  here,  a  Temple  and  a  country." 

"Young  men,  the  vision  of  my  mind  is  upon  your  position. 
Upon  your  shoulders  rests  the  mission  of  carrying  on  this  work 
of  converting  the  children  of  men  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ 
from  the  sins  of  the  world.  There  is  nothing  the  children  of 
men  can  be  engaged  in  that  is  equal  to  the  converting  of  the 
souls  of  men.  The  only  office  I  ever  asked  the  Lord  for  was 
to  be  permitted  to  go  and  preach  the  Gospel.  You  hold  the 
power  of  the  Priesthood  in  your  hands.  I  was  present  in 
Nauvoo,  when  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  gave  the  keys  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  to  the  Twelve  Apostles.  He  was  with  us 
about  three  hours.  He  was  full  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  His 
face  was  clear  as  amber.  He  said  :  'I  stand  at  the  head  of 
this  dispensation  and  God  has  given  me  every  key  of  the  Priest- 
hood, every  power  of  the  Priesthood.  I  am  going  away  (we  did 
not  know  what  he  meant).  This  kingdom  will  depend  on  you 
and  I  now  roll  the  responsibilities  upon  you,  and  God  requires 
it  at  your  hands,  and  if  you  do  not  carry  it  on  you  will  be 
damned.' 

"Joseph  never  bestowed  upon  young  Joseph  any  key  or  Priest- 
hood or  authority.  God  is  not  with  the  Josephites,  nor  are  the 
ordinances  Df  the  House  of  the  Lord  with  them.  I  was  once 
riding  on  the  cars  from  this  city  to  Provo,  and  a  man  named 
Short  took  occasion  to  wralk  up  and  down  the  car,  declaring 
that  Joseph  Smith  never  taught  or  practiced  plural  marriage, 
and  never  instituted  the  covenant  and  endowments  of  the  House 
of  the  Lord ;  that  Brigham  Young  and  those  with  him  were  the 
authors  of  these  things.  I  arose  and  said  to  him :  'You  say 
what  is  untrue.  I  received  my  endowments  under  the  hands  of 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  he  taught  me  the  celestial  order 
of  marriage '  I  shall  be  a  witness  of  this  in  the  spirit  world, 
and  I  shall  meet  you  all  there.  The  day  is  not  far  distant  when 
you  will  see  great  events  in  the  earth  and  sorrowful  judgment. 
God  bless  you." 

President  Woodruff's  ninetieth  birthday  was  celebrated  March 
1st,  1897,  by  a  great  gathering  of  his  friends  and  admirers  at 
the  large  Tabernacle  in  Salt  Lake  City,  which  was  completely 

6 


82  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

filled  and  was  attended  by  the  governor  and  members  of  the 
legislature  and  many  other  public  officials,  "Mormons"  and  non- 
' 'Mormons."  President  Woodruff  made  a  notable  speech  on 
that  occasion,  speaking  with  great  vigor  and  clearness.  After 
an  appropriate  programme  was  rendered  President  Woodruff 
and  his  wife,  Emma  Smith  Woodruff,  fifty-nine  years  of  age, 
and  whose  birthday  occurred  on  the  same  day  as  his,  was  seated 
in  front  of  the  lower  stand  and  held  a  reception  that  lasted  over 
an  hour,  almost  the  entire  assembly  passing  by  and  shaking 
hands  with  the  venerable  President  and  his  wife.  On  July  20th, 
1897,  he  officiated  at  the  great  Pioneer  Jubilee  celebration,  when 
the  statue  of  Brigham  Young  and  'the  Pioneers  was  unveiled  and 
dedicatory  prayer  by  President  Woodruff  was  offered.  Subse- 
quently he  was  presented  with  a  gold  Pioneer  badge  designed 
for  the  oldest  Pioneer  present.  On  June  22nd,  he  was  crown od 
with  flowers  in  the  Tabernacle  by  the  children  who  had  marched 
in  procession  to  the  number  of  about  10,000.  On  this  occasion, 
Ida  Taylor  Whittaker,  granddaughter  of  the  late  Presidenc 
Taylor,  who  spoke  for  the  others,  said :  "As  one  of  the  descend- 
ants of  Utah's  1847  (year)  Pioneers,  I  crown  you  the  oldest  of 
that  noble  band  present  here  today  and  pray  God's  blessings  on 
you  and  all  your  Pioneer  companions." 

President  Woodruff  frequently  testified  that  two  powers  had 
been  at  work  with  him  all  his  life,  one  to  destroy  and  the  other 
to  protect  him  and  enable  him  to  complete  his  mission  upon 
the  earth.  During  his  eventful  life  he  met  with  a  number  of 
severe  accidents,  some  of  which  would  have  killed  an  ordinary 
person.  He  freqently  remarked  that  nearly  every  bone  in  his 
body  except  thosti  of  the  spine  and  neck  had  been  broken.  The 
following  chapter  of  accidents  which  befell  him  was  prepared 
under  his  special  direction : 

"When  three  years  of  age  he  fell  into  a  caldron  of  boiling 
water,  and  it  was  nine  months  before  he  was  considered  out  of 
danger.  When  five  years  old,  he  fell  from  the  great  beam  of  a 
barn,  striking  on  his  face ;  three  months  later  he  fell  down  stairs 
and  broke  an  arm.  Soon  after,  he  broke  his  other  arm.  At 
six  years  old  he  was  chased  by  a  mad  bovine,  but  he  fell  into  a 
pesthole  and  the  animal  leaped  over  him.  The  same  year  he 
broke  both  bones  of  one  of  his  legs,  in  his  father's  saw  mill. 
When  eight  years  old,  a  wagon  in  which  he  was  riding 


PRESIDENT   WILFORD   WOODRUFF.  83 

was  tipped  over  upon  him,  and  he  was  nearly  suffocated. 
When  nine  years  old,  he  fell  from  an  elm  tree,  through  the  break- 
ing of  a  dry  limb,  fifteen  feet,  to  the  ground,  and  was  supposed 
to  be  dead.  When  twelve  years  old,  he  was  nearly  drowned  in 
Farmington  river,  Connecticut,  but  was  brought  up  by  a  young 
man  from  thirty  feet  of  water.  He  suffered  greatly  in  his 
restoration  to  Jife.  When  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  became  be- 
numbed with  cold  while  walking  through  the  meadows,  and 
went  into  the  sleep  of  death,  becoming  insensible,  but  was  found 
and  was  restored.  When  fourteen  years  old,  he  split  his  instep 
open  with  an  ax,  and  was  nine  months  getting  well.  At  fifteen 
he  was  bitten  in  his  left  hand  by  a  mad  dog.  At  seventeen  he 
was  thrown  from  an  ill-tempered  horse,  over  the  horse's  head,  on 
a  steep  hill  amid  the  rocks;  he  landed  over  the  rocks  on  his 
feet  about  a  rod  ahead.  It  broke  his  left  leg  in  two  places  and 
dislocated  both  his  ankles.  In  eight  weeks  he  was  out  of  doors 
on  crutches.  In  1827,  while  attempting  to  clear  the  ice  out  of 
a  water  wheel,  a  full  head  of  water  was  turned  on,  his  feet 
slipped  into  the  wheel,  but  he  plunged  forward  head  first  into 
three  feet  of  water  and  escaped  being  crushed  to  death.  In 
1831,  he  was  again  caught  in  a  wheel  twenty  feet  in  diameter, 
but  leaped  out  against  a  jagged  stone  wall,  and  escaped  with  a 
few  bruises.  During  the  winter  of  that  year  he  suffered  severely 
from  lung  fever.  In  1833,  the  day  he  was  baptized,  a  horse, 
newly  sharpshod,  kicked  a  hat  off  his  head,  and  ten  minutes 
later  he  was  thrown  from  a  sleigh,  without  any  box,  on  which 
he  was  driving,  lighting  between  the  horses,  and  was  dragged 
with  the  sleigh  on  him  to  the  bottom  of  a  hill  on  a  snow  path, 
but  escaped  unharmed.  In  1834,  he  narrowly  escaped  death 
twice  from  the  discharge  of  firearms,  a  rifle  ball  passing  withiu 
a  few  inches  of  his  breast,  and  a  musket,  heavily  loaded,  being 
snapped  with  the  muzzle  pointed  at  his  breast.  In  April,  1839, 
in  Rochester,  111.,  while  riding  on  the  forward  axle  tree  of  a 
wagon,  he  was  thrown  so  that  his  head  and  shoulders  were  drag- 
ging. His  horses  took  fright  and  dragged  him  about  half  a  mile, 
till  they  ran  into  a  high  fence.  He  was  bruised,  but  no  bones 
were  broken.  While  going  to  St.  Louis,  in  July,  1842,  he  had  a 
severe  attack  of  bilious  fever,  and  on  returning  to  Nauvoo,  iu 
August,  was  confined  to  his  bed  for  forty  days,  and  appeared  to 
be  stricken  with  death,  but  he  recovered  by  the  manifestation 


84  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

of  the  power  of  God.  September  12th,  1843,  at  5  p.  m.,  he  lefr 
Boston  on  the  Portland  Express.  Six  miles  south  of  Kenne- 
bunk,  after  dark,  the  train  was  wrecked,  several  cars  wore 
smashed  to  pieces,  the  engineer  killed,  some  of  the  passengers 
had  bones  broken,  but  he  escaped  unhurt.  October  5,  1840, 
when  with  the  Camp  of  the  Saints  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Mis- 
souri river,  while  cutting  some  timber,  he  was  crushed  by  a 
falling  tree,  his  breast  bone  and  three  ribs  on  the  left  side  were 
broken,  his  left  arm,  hip  and  thigh  were  badly  bruised,  and  he 
was  internally  injured,  yet  he  rode  two  and  a  half  miles  over 
a  rough  road  and  was  then  carried  to  his  wagon,  when  President 
Brigham  Young  and  his  counselors  laid  hands  upon  him  and 
rebuked  his  pain.  He  had  no  physician;  was  able  to  walk  in 
twenty  days,  and  in  thirty  days  from  the  time  he  was  hurt,  he 
was  able  to  work  again.  On  the  21st  of  April,  1856,  while  help- 
ing to  move  an  ox  that  had  died  from  poison  and  had  been 
skinned,  his  arm  was  inoculated  with  the  virus,  and  seven  days 
afterward  he  began  to  swell,  and  his  whole  system  appeared  to 
be  impregnated  with  the  poison.  President  Young  adminis 
tered  to  him  and  promised  him  he  should  recover  and  live  to 
finish  the  work  appointed  to  him  on  earth.  He  subsequently 
recovered,  although  dead  flesh  had  to  be  removed  from  his  arm 
with  instruments  and  lunar  caustic. 

From  his  boyhood  up  President  Woodruff  kept  a  complete 
journal  of  his  daily  life,  without  which  many  important  items 
must  have  been  lost.  For  many  years  he  was  Church  his- 
torian, his  long  personal  experience  and  the  accuracy  of  his 
journal  assisting  him  very  much. 

From  the  year  1834  to  the  end  of  1895,  President  Woodruff 
traveled  172,369  miles,  held  7,555  meetings,  attended  seventy-five 
semi-annual  conferences  and  344  quarterly  conferences,  preached 
3,526  discourses,  established  seventy-seven  preaching  places  in 
the  missionary  field,  organized  fifty-one  branches  of  the  Church, 
received  18,977  letters,  wrote  13,519  letters,  assisted  in  the  con- 
firmation into  the  Church  of  8,952  persons,  and  in  addition  to 
his  work  in  the  St.  George  Temple,  labored  603  days  in  the 
endowment  house  in  Salt  Lake  City.  He  traveled  through 
England,  Scotland,  Wales,  six  islands  of  the  sea,  twenty-three 
States  of  the  United  States,  and  five  Territories. 

During  the  later  years  of  his  life  he  was  a  victim  of  insomnia, 


PRESIDENT   WILFOKD    WOODRUFF.  85 

and  occasionally  went  to  the  Pacific  coast  where  he  could  sleep 
better  and  hoped  to  recruit.  It  was  upon  one  of  these  visits  that 
he  was  prostrated  and  passed  peacefully  away,  September  2nd, 
1808.  A  portion  of  his  family  and  President  Cannon  were  at 
his  bedside.  His  remains  were  brought  home  for  interment,  the 
funeral  took  place  September  9th,  in  the  large  Tabernacle,  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  was  attended  by  several  thousand  people,  and 
the  general  authorities  of  the  Church.  He  left  a  family  of 
estimable  wives  and  children  to  mourn  his  departure,  but  they 
were  not  alone  in  their  bereavement,  for  hosts  of  people  knew 
and  loved  President  Woodruff  as  a  Prophet  of  the  Lord,  au 
humble,  honest,  upright  man  of  God. 


PRESIDENT  LORENZO  SNOW. 

President  LORENZO  SNOW  was  born  in  Mantua,  Portage  county, 
Ohio,  April  3,  1814,  the  eldest  son  of  Oliver  and  Rosetta  L. 
Pettibone  Snow.  His  parents  were  of  the  old  Puritan  stock, 
and,  naturally  enough,  from  them  he  inherited  the  sterling  quali- 
ties which  characterized  the  early  promoters  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty  in  this  land.  Ohio,  at  that"  time,  was  considered  in  the 
extreme  west,  and  although  President  Snow  was  reared  upon  a 
farm  in  the  "wilds"  and  inured  to  hard  manual  labor,  he  early 
exhibited  a  strong  desire  to  secure  a  good  education  and  was 
often  found  by  those  seeking  his  company,  "hid  up  with  his 
book."  He  also  entertained  an  inclination  to  military  tactics, 
and  gave  them  considerable  attention.  His  faithful  sister,  Eliza 
R.,  made  him  a  suit  of  uniform.  She  became  somewhat  alarmeJ 
at  her  brother's  aspirations,  lest  he  should  be  a  military  man, 
become  identified  with  the  armies  of  his  country,  and  end  his 
career  upon  the  battlefield.  Her  anxiety,  however,  was  relieved 
when  she  found  him  turning  his  attention  more  completely  to  a 
collegiate  course  of  education.  He  attended  the  celebrated 
Oberlin  College,  which  at  that  time  was  strictly  Presbyterian. 
In  the  meantime,  his  sister  Eliza  had  identified  herself  with  the 
Latter-day  Saints.  He  would  sometimes  write  home  and  ask 
her  many  questions  regarding  the  subject  of  religion,  on  one 
occasion  stating  in  a  letter  that  if  he  could  find  nothing  better 
than  he  found  at  Oberlin  College,  "good  bye  to  all  religions." 
During  these  years  the  Saints  were  building  up  the  city  of 
Kirtland  and  regions  around  about,  which  were  not  very  distant 
from  the  home  of  the  Snow  family.  This  brought  them  in  close 
contact  with  the  Latter-day  Saints.  On  one  occasion,  while 
journeying  to  Kirtland,  Lorenzo  fell  into  the  company  of  Elder 
David  W.  Patten,  who  engaged  him  in  conversation  on  religious 
matters.  The  ideas  advanced  by  Elder  Patten  were  both  reason- 
able and  Scriptural.  They  made  such  a  lasting  and  favorable 
impression  upon  the  youthful  seeker  after  truth,  that  he  con- 
stantly meditated  upon  them  until  he  became  fully  convinced  of 


LORENZO  SNOW. 


88  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

the  truth  and  embraced  the  Gospel.  In  Kirtland  he  joined  the 
Hebrew  class  and  applied  his  mind  closely  to  the  study.  He 
became  intimately  acquainted  with  the  Prophet  Joseph  and  as  his 
acquaintance  increased,  so  did  his  love  and  admiration  for  the 
Prophet  of  God.  In  June,  1836,  he  was  baptized  by  Apostle 
John  Boynton. 

Upon  joining  the  Church,  Brother  Snow  was  filled  with  a 
desire  to  obtain  a  testimony  for  himself,  and  while  pondering 
upon  the  promised  witness,  the  adversary  sought  to  darken  his 
mind  and  weaken  his  faith.  While  in  this  frame  of  mind,  he 
retired  to  a  secret  place  and  sought  the  Lord  in  humble  prayer. 
The  following  is  a  description  of  the  result,  given  in  his  own 
words : 

"I  had  no  sooner  opened  my  lips  in  an  effort  to  pray  than  I 
heard  a  sound  just  above  my  head  like  the  rustling  of  silken 
robes ;  and  immediately  the  Spirit  of  God  descended  upon  me, 
completely  enveloping  my  whole  person,  filling  me  from  the 
crown  of  my  head  to  the  soles  of  my  feet,  and  oh,  the  joyful 
happiness  I  felt!  No  language  can  describe  the  almost  in- 
stantaneous transition  from  a  dense  cloud  of  spiritual  darkness 
into  a  refulgence  of  light  and  knowledge,  as  it  was  at  that  time 
imparted  to  my  understanding.  I  received  a  perfect  knowledge 
that  God  lives,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  of  the 
restoration  of  the  Holy  Priesthood  and  the  fullness  of  the  Gos- 
pel. It  was  a  complete  baptism— a  tangible  immersion  in  the 
heavenly  principle  or  element,  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  even  more 
physical  in  its  effects  upon  every  part  of  my  system  than  the 
immersion  by  water." 

President  Lorenzo  Snow  was  always  true  and  absolutely  un- 
deviating  from  that  testimony.  He  traveled  tens  of  thousands 
of  miles  in  bearing  witness  of  the  Gospel.  He  suffered  priva- 
tion, hardships,  persecution,  laid  down  his  life  in  che  Pacific 
ocean,  and  by  the  power  of  God  had  it  restored  again ;  suffered 
through  bonds  and  imprisonment,  yet  with  it  all  he  bore  the 
same  testimony  given  sixty-five  years  before  his  death.  I  ask, 
where  does  the  Old  or  the  New  Testament  produce  a  witness 
whose  testimony  is  stronger,  worthy  of  more  respect  or  more- 
incontrovertible,  than  that  recorded  above  given  to  the  Prophet 
Lorenzo  Snow?  This  testimony  will  endure  forever  and  be 
presented  at  the  bar  of  Jehovah,  a  witness  against  those  who 


PRESIDENT   LORENZO   SNOW.  89 

have  heard  and  rejected  it.  During  the  trouble  and  apostasy 
in  Kirtland,  Elder  Snow  remained  faithful  and  true  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph.  In  the  spring  of  1837  he  performed  his  first 
mission,  traveling  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  "without  purse  or  scrip." 
In  the  year  1838  the  Snow  family  joined  the  Saints  in  Mis- 
souri, and  there  witnessed  the  scenes  of  mobocracy  enacted  in 
that  State.  From  Missouri  Lorenzo  went  on  his  second  mission, 
this  time  to  Kentucky,  Illinois  and  Missouri.  While  in  Ken- 
tucky he  learned  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Saints  from  Missouri, 
and  walked  five  hundred  miles  to  Kirtland,  Ohio.  The  two 
winters  following,  Elder  Snow  was  occupied  in  Portage  county, 
Ohio,  as  a  school  teacher,  in  which  profession  he  was  very 
successful. 

In  the  spring  of  1840  Elder  Snow  went  on  a  mission  to  Eng- 
land. It  was  during  this  mission  that  President  Snow  had 
revealed  unto  him  this  glorious  principle  :  "As  man  now  is,  God 
once  was ;  as  God  now  is,  man  may  be."  This  sublime  truth 
was  not  then  known  to  the  Latter-day  Saints.  It  had  not  been 
taught  by  the  Prophet,  and  Brother  Snow  wisely  kept  the  matter 
to  himself,  except  that  he  confided  in  his  sister  Eliza  R.  and 
President  Young.  The  latter  also  cautioned  him  not  to  confide 
the  matter  to  others.  He  presided  over  the  London  Conference, 
besides  laboring  in  Manchester,  Liverpool  and  Birmingham. 
Upon  returning  home  in  1843  he  was  welcomed  by  Prophet 
Joseph.  Returning  to  Xauvoo,  President  Young  informed  Brother 
Snow  that  the  doctrine  he  had  mentioned  concerning  God  and 
man  was  true,  the  Prophet  Joseph  having  since  taught  it  to 
his  people.  Until  this  time  Elder  Snow  was  unmarried,  his  in- 
tellectual and  spiritual  pursuits  having  excluded  from  his  mind, 
to  a  very  considerable  degree,  the  subject  of  matrimony.  While 
on  a  brief  mission  to  Ohio,  Elder  Snow  heard  of  the  martyrdcm 
of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith.  Previous  to  the  Prophet's  death 
he  taught  Elder  Snow  the  doctrine  of  celestial  marriage.  Lorenzo 
left  with  the  exodus  from  Illinois,  when  the  companies  for  emi- 
gration were  organized  by  President  Young.  At  Mt.  Pisgah,  a 
temporary  resting  place  for  the  Saints,  Elder  Snow  was  ap- 
pointed to  preside.  There  he  distinguished  himself  as  a  leader, 
by  organizing  and  planning  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the 
people  and  to  provide  for  their  maintenance.  He  moved  to  Salt 
Lake  Valley  in  the  fall  of  1848.  In  his  new  location  he  was 


90  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

among   the  most   industrious  and  cheerful   in  the  performance 
of  every  labor  and  duty  incidental  to  building  a  city  in  the  desert. 

Early  in  1849  he  was  called  to  the  Apostleship,  and  was  or- 
dained a  member  of  the  Council  February  12,  1849.  As  an 
Apostle  of  the  Lord,  President  Lorenzo  Snow  labored  with 
ability  and  energy,  covering  a  period  of  over  half  a  century. 
Notwithtsanding  the  marked  ability  with  which  the  Lord  en- 
dowed him,  and  the  wisdom  and  efficiency  which  ever  character- 
ized his  labors,  his  humility  and  meekness  were  such,  that  on  one 
occasion,  he  and  President  Franklin  D.  Richards  went  to  Presi- 
dent Young  and  offered  to  yield  their  places  in  the  quorum  of  tli3 
Twelve,  if  he  felt  disposed  to  accept  their  resignation,  and  fill 
their  positions  with  other  men.  Of  course  such  a  proposition 
was  not  accepted. 

At  the  October  conference  in  1849,  President  Snow  was  called 
on  a  mission  to  Italy.  En  route  he  visited  London  and  Paris, 
arriving  in  Genoa  on  the  25th  of  June,  1850.  Among  the 
Catholics  Elder  Snow  and  companions  made  little  progress,  but 
in  the  Piedmont  valley  they  labored  with  considerable  success 
among  the  Protestant  Waldenses.  In  the  prosecution  of  mis 
sionary  work,  Elder  Snow  issued  a  number  of  pamphlets  which 
were  widely  circulated  in  their  mission  as  circumstances  won  Id 
permit.  "The  Voice  of  Joseph,"  "The  Ancient  Gospel  Re- 
stored," and  "The  Only  Way  to  be  Saved"  were  written  by 
Elder  Snow.  He  caused  the  Book  of  Mormon  to  be  translated 
into  Italian,  and  under  his  direction  the  Gospel  was  sent  to 
Switzerland,  where  good  success  attended  the  Elders.  Since 
that  time  hundreds  have  been  gathered  from  that  land.  Presi- 
dent Snow  was  so  thoroughly  filled  with  the  spirit  of  preaching 
the  Gospel  to  all  nations,  that  he  planned  for  missions  to  extend 
into  Greece,  Turkey,  Russia  and  Malta ;  at  the  latter  place  many 
converts  were  made.  He  also  sent  missionaries  to  Calcutta 
and  Bombay,  where  branches  of  the  Church  were  organized. 
At  Malta,  journeying  eastward,  he  was  released  to  return  home, 
where  he  arrived  July  30,  1852.  The  following  year  he  was 
elected  to  the  Utah  legislature,  a  position  he  occupied  for  twenty- 
nine  years,  ten  of  which  he  presided  over  the  Council. 

In  1853  he  was  called  by  President  Young  to  remove  to  Box 
Elder  county,  and  locate  fifty  families  there.  He  cheerfully 
consented,  and  for  forty  years  made  his  home  in  Brigham  City, 


PRESIDENT   LORENZO   SNOW.  91 

where  he  was  the  leading  spirit  not  only  in  spiritual  matters, 
but  in  every  laudable  enterprise  looking  to  the  development  of 
the  country.  He  also  presided  for  years  over  the  Box  Elder 
Stake  of  Zion.  He  organized  the  Brigham  City  Mercantile  and 
Manufacturing  Association,  under  which  industries  were  brought 
into  successful  operation.  The  products  of  these  industries  in 
1875  amounted  in  value  to  $260,000.  The  enterprises  were  con 
ducted,  as  nearly  as  possible  under  the  existing  conditions,  in 
the  spirit  of  the  United  Order.  The  country  was  unbroken,  the 
resources  undeveloped,  and  when  these  things  are  taken  into 
account,  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  task  was  not  an  easy 
one.  Although  the  organization  became  extinct,  and  the  indus- 
tries ceased,  President  Snow  fully  demonstrated  the  fact  that 
under  a  more  perfect  condition  of  the  people  spiritually,  the 
United  Order  would  be  an  absolute  possibility. 

In  1864  President  Snow,  with  Elders  Ezra  T.  Benson,  Jos. 
F.  Smith  and  other  Elders  went  on  a  brief  business  mission  to 
the  Sandwich  Islands.  While  going  to  the  shore,  the  small  boat 
carrying  them  was  capsized  and  President  Snow  was  thrown  into 
the  sea.  When  rescued  he  was  to  all  appearances  dead.  The 
brethren  exercised  great  faith  and  worked  over  him  for  more 
than  an  hour,  when  life  came  back  to  his  body.  He  concluded 
his  mission  in  the  islands  successfully  and  returned  to  resume  his 
labors  in  Zion.  In  1872,  he,  wtih  his  sister,  Eliza  R.,  and  other 
tourists  visited  the  land  of  Palestine  and  dedicated  from  the 
summit  of  Mt.  Olivet,  the  land  for  the  gathering  of  Israel  in  the 
last  days.  The  interesting  account  of  their  visit  will  be  found 
in  their  letters  published  in  book  form,  entitled  "The  Palestine 
Tourist." 

During  the  crusade  against  the  Saints  under  the  Edmunds- 
Tucker  act,  President  Snow  personally  suffered  the  persecution 
incidental  to  those  times.  Under  the  segregation  process  in- 
augurated by  the  Utah  courts,  but  afterward  reversed  by  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court,  President  Snow  was  convicted 
and  sentenced  to  fine  and  imprisonment  in  the  Utah  penitentiary- 
He  served  eleven  months  without  a  murmur  or  complaint.  Be 
fore  being  sentenced  he  was  offered  his  liberty  if  he  would  do 
violence  to  his  own  conscience  by  making  a  certain  promise. 
The  following  is  his  address  to  the  court : 

"Your  honor,  I  wish  to  address  this  court  kindly,  respectfully, 


92  PKOPHETS  AND    PATHIAECHS. 

and  especially  without  giving  offense.  During  my  trials,  under 
three  indictments,  the  court  has  manifested  courtesy  and  pa- 
tience, and  I  trust  your  honor  has  still  a  liberal  supply,  from 
which  your  prisoner  at  the  bar  indulges  the  hope  that  further 
exercise  of  those  happy  qualities  may  be  anticipated.  In  the 
first  place,  the  court  will  please  allow  me  to  express  my  thanks 
and  gratitude  to  my  learned  attorneys  for  their  able,  zealous 
efforts  in  conducting  my  defense. 

"In  reference  to  'the  prosecuting  attorney,  Mr.  Bierbower,  I 
pardon  him  for  his  ungenerous  expressions,  his  apparent  false 
coloring  and  seeming  abuse.  The  entire  lack  of  evidence  in 
the  case  against  me  on  which  to  argue,  made  that  line  of  speech 
the  only  alternative  in  which  to  disply  his  eloquence ;  yet,  in  all 
his  endeavors,  he  failed  to  cast  more  obloquy  on  me  than  was 
heaped  upon  our  Savior. 

"I  stand  in  the  presence  of  this  court  a  loyal,  free-born  Ameri- 
can citizen,  now  as  ever  a  true  advocate  of  justice  and  liberty. 
'The  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave'  has  been  the 
pride  of  my  youth  and  the  boast  of  my  riper  years.  When 
abroad  in  foreign  lands,  laboring  in  the  interest  of  humanity,  I 
have  pointed  proudly  to  the  land  of  my  birth  as  an  asylum  for 
the  oppressed. 

"I  have  ever  felt  to  honor  the  laws  and  institutions  of  my 
country,  and  during  the  progress  of  my  trial,  whatever  evidence 
has  been  introduced  has  shown  my  innocence.  But,  like  ancient 
Apostles  when  arraigned  in  Pagan  courts,  and  in  the  presence  of 
apotsate  Hebrew  judges,  though  innocent,  they  were  pronounced 
guilty.  So,  myself,  an  Apostle  who  bears  witness  by  virtue  of 
his  calling  and  the  revelations  of  God,  that  Jesus  lives — that  He 
is  the  Son  of  God — though  guiltless  of  crime,  here  in  a  Christian 
court  I  have  been  convicted  through  the  prejudice  and  popular 
sentiment  of  a  so-called  Christian  nation. 

"In  ancient  times  the  Jewish  nation  and  the  Roman  empire 
stood  versus  the  Apostles.  Now,  under  an  apostate  Christianity, 
the  United  States  of  America  stands  versus  Apostle  Lorenzo 
Snow. 

"Inasmuch  as  frequent  reference  has  been  made  to  my 
Apostleship  by  the  prosecution,  it  becomes  proper  for  me  to  ex- 
plain some  essential  qualifications  of  an  Apostle. 

"First,  an  Apostle  must  possess  a  divine  knowledge,  by  rev- 


PRESIDENT   LORENZO   SNOW.  93 

elation  from  God,  that  Jesus  lives — that  He  is  the  Son  of  the 
living  God. 

"Secondly,  he  must  be  divinely  authorized  to  promise  the  Holy 
Ghost,  a  divine  principle  that  reveals  the  things  of  God,  making 
known  His  will  and  purposes,  leading  into  all  truth  and  show- 
ing things  to  come,  as  declared  by  the  Savior. 

"Thirdly,  he  is  commissioned  by  the  power  of  God  to  admin- 
ister the  sacred  ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  which  are  confirmed  to 
each  individual  by  a  divine  testimony.  Thousands  of  people 
now  dwelling  in  these  mountain  vales,  who  received  these  ordi- 
nances through  my  administrations,  are  living  witnesses  of  the 
truth  of  this  statement. 

"As  an  Apostle,  I  have  visited  many  nations  and  kingdoms, 
bearing  this  testimony  to  all  classes  of  people — to  men  in  the 
highest  official  stations,  among  whom  may  be  mentioned  a  presi- 
dent of  the  French  republic.  I  have  also  presented  works  em- 
bracing our  faith  and  doctrine  to  Queen  Victoria  and  the  late 
Prince  Albert,  of  England. 

"Respecting  the  doctrine  of  plural  or  celestial  marriage,  to 
which  the  prosecution  so  often  referred,  it  was  revealed  to  me, 
and  afterwards,  in<  1843,  fully  explained  to  me  by  Joseph  Smith, 
the  Prophet. 

"I  married  my  wives  because  God  commanded  it.  The  cere- 
mony, which  united  us  for  time  and  eternity,  was  performed  by 
n  servant  of  God  having  authority.  God  being  my  helper,  I 
would  prefer  to  die  a  thousand  deaths  than  renounce  my  wives 
and  violate  these  sacred  obligations. 

"The  prosecuting  attorney  was  quite  mistaken  in  saying,  'the 
defendant,  Mr.  Snow,  was  the  most  scholarly  and  brightest  light 
of  the  Apostles;'  and  equally  wrong  when  pleading  with  the 
jury  to  assist  him  and  the  'United  States  of  America'  in  con 
victing  Apostle  Snow,  and  'he  would  predict  that  a  new  revela- 
tion would  soon  follow,  changing  the  divine  law  of  celestial 
marriage.'  Whatever  fame  Mr.  Bierbower  may  have  secured  as  a 
lawyer,  he  certainly  will  fail  as  a  prophet.  The  severest  prose- 
cutions have  never  been  followed  by  revelations  changing  a  di- 
vine law,  obedience  to  which  brought  imprisonment  or  martyr- 
dom. 

"Though  I  go  to  prison),  God  will  not  change  His  law  of  celes 
tial  marriage.     But  the  man,  the  people,  the  nation,  that  oppose 


94  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

and  fight  against  this  doctrine  and  the  Church  of  God,  will  be 
overthrown. 

"Though  the  Presidency  of  the  Church  and  the  Twelve 
Apostles  should  suffer  martyrdom,  there  will  remain  over  foui 
thousand  Seventies,  all  Apostles  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  were 
these  to  be  slain  there  still  would  remain  many  thousands  of 
High  Priests,  and  as  many  or  more  Elders,  all  possessing  the 
same  authority  to  administer  Gospel  ordinances. 

"In  conclusion,  I  solemnly  testify,  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  the  so- 
called  'Mormon'  Church  is  'the  Church  of  the  living  God,  estab- 
lished on  the  rock  of  revelation,  against  which  'the  gates  of  hell 
cannot  prevail.' 

"Thanking  your  honor  for  your  indulgence,  I  am  now  ready 
to  receive  my  sentence." 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his  family,  dated  Salt 
Lake  City,  February  9th,  1887,  speaks  for  itself : 

"Eleven  months  I  had  been  incarcerated  within  the  walls  of  a 
gloomy  prison!  Imagine  for  yourselves  how  like  a  dream  it 
seemed,  when,  suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  the  prison  gate  flew 
open,  and,  clad  in  my  striped  convict  suit,  I  was  at  once  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  a  multitude  of  warm-hearted  friends,  anx- 
iously awaiting  my  appearance.  Oh,  what  warm  clasping  anrl 
shaking  of  hands !  What  hearty  greetings  and  expressions  of 
congratulation ! 

"Having  gone  the  rounds  of  this  animating  introductory  scene, 
I  repaired  to  the  tailors'  department  of  the  prison,  and  donned  a 
new  black  broadcloth  suit  and  'Richard  was  himself  again.' 

"Amid  the  soul-enlivening  and  the  heart-cheering  gaze  of  mj 
numerous  friends,  I  was  conducted  by  Hon.  F.  S.  Richards  to  a 
carriage  and  seated  with  my  daughter,  Eliza  S.  Dunford,  my 
son  Alvirus,  and  a  son  of  Hon.  F.  S.  Richards. 

"When  we  started  for  Salt  Lake  City,  it  was  a  matter  of  as- 
tonishment that  so  large  a  gathering  should  put  in  an  appearance 
on  the  spur  of  the  moment.  Included  in  the  number  were  Heber 
J.  Grant  and  John  W.  Taylor,  of  the  quorum  of  Apostles ;  Hon. 
F.  S.  Richards  and  wife,  Abraham  H.  Cannon,  representing  the 
seven  Presidents  of  Seventies;  John  Nicholson  and  George  C. 
Lambert,  representing  the  "Deseret  News;"  President  L.  W. 
Shurtliff,  of  the  Weber  Stake,  and  many  others — ladies  and 


PRESIDENT    LORENZO   SNOW.  95 

gentlemen — noble  men  and  women  of  God,  of  whose  society 
I  am  justly  proud." 

At  the  general  conference  April  7th,  1889,  Elder  Snow  was 
sustained  as  President  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  which  position  he 
filled  with  distinction  until  he  became  President  of  the  Church 
subsequent  to  the  death  of  President  Woodruff,  October  1,  189S. 
Soon  after  the  dedication  of  the  Salt  Lake  Temple  in  1893, 
President  Snow  was  installed  in  it  as  President,  which  honored 
position  he  held  to  the  day  of  his  death.  He  was  spiritual- 
minded  to  a  very  high  degree,  and  with  his  heavenly  counte- 
nance and  sweet,  gentle  dignity,  no  one  living  was  better,  if  so 
well,  qualified  to  stand  as  the  watchman  at  the  door  which 
opens  between  the  living  and  the  dead. 

When  President  Snow  succeeded  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
Church,  he  said  to  his  brethren.  "I  do  not  want  this  adminis- 
tration to  be  known  as  Lorenzo  Snow's  administration,  but  as 
God's,  in  and  through  Lorenzo  Snow."  Being  personally  ac- 
quainted with  President  Snow  and  observing  his  course  in  coun- 
cil, the  writer  can  testify  that  he  was  careful  not  to  act  in  mat- 
ters for  the  benefit  of  the  Church  unless  satisfied  that  he  had 
the  approval  of  the  Lord.  President  Snow  chose  for  his  coun- 
selors Presidents  Geo.  Q.  Cannon  and  Jos.  F.  Smith,  who  had 
served  faithfully  in  the  same  relationship  to  Presidents  Taylor 
and  Woodruff.  One  of  the  first  and  very  foremost  subjects  of 
consideration  with  President  Snow  on  assuming  the  duties  of  his 
position  as  President  was,  how  to  relieve  the  Church  from  the 
heavy  burden  of  debt  which  had  rested  upon  it  since  the  con- 
fiscation of  Church  property  by  the  government.  He  issued 
church  bonds,  and  with  money  borrowed  almost  entirely  from 
our  own  people,  liquidated  the  most  pressing  obligations  of  the 
Church.  Soon  after  this  he  made  a  tour  among  the  settlements 
•of  the  Saints  in  southern  Utah.  While  in  St.  George,  the  Lord 
revealed  to  him  that  the  Saints  must  repent  of  their  indifference 
to  the  law  of  tithing,  reform  and  do  better,  or  many  blessings 
would  be  withdrawn  and  our  enemies  have  great  power  over  us. 

President  Snow  and  the  brethren  visited  many  Stakes  of  Zion, 
and  1899  was  a  year  of  tithe-preaching  and  tithe-paying.  This 
spirit  of  obedience  to  this  law,  permeated  every  Stake  of  Zion 
and  every  land  and  clime  where  a  mission  is  established  and 
ihe  Elders  are  found  proclaiming  the  Gospel  to  the  nations  of 


96  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

the  earth.  With  the  advancement  made  as  a  result  of  this 
movement,  it  may  be  safely  believed  that  the  administration  of 
the  Lord  through  President  Snow  was '  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable the  Church  has  ever  seen. 

Let  me  here  quote  the  testimony  from  an  intelligent  man  not 
of  our  faith,  Rev.  Dr.  Prentis,  a  student  of  human  nature,  who 
gave,  unsolicited,  a  short  time  before  our  President's  death,  the 
following  pen  sketch  of  Lorenzo  Snow : 

"  'Ye  are  my  witnesses.'  Nothing  is  stranger  in  this  strange 
world  of  inquiry  and  wonderment  than  the  subtle  power  of  the 
human  heart  to  distill  itself  through  and  utter  itself  permanently 
in  the  human  face.  Every  face  is  either  a  prophecy  or  a  his- 
tory. The  tender  grace  of  a  baby's  face  commanding  peace  to 
the  troubled  waves  of  a  mother's  heart,  is  but  a  prophecy  of  the 
conquered  peace  of  a  noble  life  upon  which  that  warm  heart 
may  later  lean.  The  droop  of  the  school  girl's  eyelash,  the 
furrow  of  the  student's  brow,  the  compression  of  the  youth's 
lips  in  the  various  trials  of  life,  are  all  promises  to  the  physi- 
ognomist of  a  tale  that  is  yet  to  be  told ;  but  upon  the  counte- 
nance of  the  aged  saint  or  sinner  every  line,  every  shade,  every 
tracing  speaks  unerringly  of  a  history  of  glorious  triumph  or 
disastrous  defeat.  Before  the  story  is  told  and  the  character 
completed,  regularity  of  feature,  lines  of  texture  and  delicacy  of 
coloring  may  cover  up  from  careless  eyes  the  deadly  work  of 
spiritual  destruction  going  on  beneath  the  appearances ;  but 
when  these  have  fallen  like  forest  leaves  in  the  autumn  of  life 
and  the  hoar  frost  of  winter  whitens  the  head  and  furrows  the 
smooth  skin,  the  history  of  life  can  no  longer  be  hid,  and  men 
may  read  it  as  in  an  open  book.  By  a  subtle  alchemy  intractable 
to  human  control,  the  soul  shines  in  the  face  and  the  countenance 
is  a  monument  of  warning  or  a  poem  of  benedictions.  Whatever 
estimate  men  may  place  upon  the  claims  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
His  fiercest  detractors  have  never  challenged  His  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  what  was  in  man.  To  no  one  was  this  power  of  the 
soul  to  distill  itself  into  the  lineaments  of  the  face  better 
known  than  to  Him.  Not  to  logical  symmetry  of  doctrines,  not 
to  abstract  beauty  of  truths  revealed,  but  to  the  living  beings 
who  had  'walked  with  Jesus,'  did  the  great  Physiognomist  ap- 
pear as  the  best  evidence  of  the  power  of  the  Gospel  of  peace. 
The  face  which  speaks  of  a  soul  where  reigns  the  Prince  of  Peace 


PRESIDENT   LORENZO   SNOW.  97 

is  His  best  witness.  Now  and  then  in  a  life  spent  in  the  study 
of  man,  I  have  found  such  a  witness.  Such  was  a  face  I  saw 
today ;  saw  it  where  and  when  I  least  expected  it ;  saw  it  in  a 
business  office,  where  great  affairs  are  transacted,  where  grave 
responsibilities  are  borne,  and  where  serious  troubles  come.  I 
had  expected  to  find  intellectuality,  benevolence,  dignity,  com- 
posure and  strength  depicted  upon  the  face  of  the  President 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  but  when  I 
was  introduced  to  President  Lorenzo  Snow,  for  a  second  I  was 
startled  to  see  the  holiest  face  but  one  I  had  ever  been  privi- 
leged to  look  upon.  His  face  was  a  power  of  peace,  his  presence 
a  benediction  of  peace.  In  the  tranquil  depths  of  his  eyes  were 
not  only  the  home-  of  silent  prayer,  but  the  abode  of  spiritual 
strength.  As  he  talked  of  the  'more  sure  word  of  prophecy' 
and  the  certainty  of  the  hope  which  was  his,  and  the  abiding 
faith  which  had  conquered  the  trials  and  difficulties  of  tragic 
life,  I  watched  the  play  of  emotions  and  studied  with  fascinated 
attention  the  subtle  shades  of  expression  which  spoke  so  plainly 
the  workings  of  his  soul ;  and  the  strangest  feeling  stole  over 
me,  that  'I  stood  on  holy  ground  ;'  that  this  man  did  not  act  from 
the  commonplace  motives  of  policy,  interest,  or  expediency,  but 
he  'acted  from  a  far-off  center.'  I  am  accustomed  to  study 
men's  faces,  analyze  every  line  and  feature,  dissect  each  ex- 
pression, and  note  every  emotion,  but  I  could  not  here.  What 
would  be  the  use  of  my  recording  the  earnestness  of  the  brow, 
the  sweetness  of  the  mouth,  and  all  my  commonplace  descriptive 
•terms?  The  man  is  not  reducible  to  ordinary  description.  If 
the  Mormon  Church  can  produce  such  witnesses,  it  will  need 
but  little  the  pen  of  the  ready  writer  or  the  eloquence  of  the 
great  preacher." 

President  Snow  died  on  the  10th  day  of  October,  1901,  at 
3  :35  p.  m.  Forty-eight  hours  before  passing  away  he  signed  the 
appointments  of  fifty-eight  members  of  the  Young  Men's  Mutual 
Improvement  Association  to  go  on  missions,  and  only  twenty- 
seven  hours  before  his  death,  he  presided  at  a  meeting  of  his 
business  associates,  thus  showing  how  unimpaired  were  his 
faculties  up  to  the  last. 

The  funeral  took  place  in  the  large  Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake 
City,  on  the  Sunday  following,  where  his  sorrowing  brethren 
and  friends  were  in  attendance.  "He  died,  but  he  liveth  ;"  and 

7 


98  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

in  the  land  beyond  the  veil,  where  sorrow  and  sin  cannot  enter, 
he  again  mingles  with  the  glorified  martyrs  and  exalted  souls 
who  went  before.  .His  troubles  are  ended  and  his  joy  is  endless, 
while  his  shining  record  and  the  splendid  personality  of  the 
great  man  are  left  to  those  who  survive  as  an  imperishable 
memory. 


PRESIDENT  JOSEPH  F.  SMITH. 

For  over  twenty  years,  President  Joseph  F.  Smith  was  Second 
Counselor  in  the  First  Presidency  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  and  is  now  the  President,  the  date 
of  the  reorganization  of  the  First  Presidency,  after  the  death  of 
President  Snow,  being  October  17th,  1901.  He  was  born 
November  13th,  1838,  in  Far  West,  Caldwell  county,  Missouri. 
The  period  of  his  birth  was  a  stormy  one  in  the  history  of  the 
Church — the  time  when  it  was  in  its  infancy.  His  father, 
Hyrum  Smith,  the  Prophet's  brother,  was  all  and  more  to 
Joseph  than  Jonathan  was  to  David.  In  life  they  lived,  labored 
and  suffered  together,  and  when  their  time  came,  died  together, 
filling  a  martyr's  grave  for  the  salvation  of  mankind.  Mary 
Fielding,  the  mother  of  Joseph  F.,  was  a  native  of  England, 
and  for  energy,  faith  and  determination,  coupled  with  good 
business  abilities,  was  a  most  worthy  and  suitable  companion 
for  her  husband. 

A  few  days  previous  to  the  birth  of  Joseph  F.,  his  father  and 
uncle,  Joseph,  with  other  brethren,  were  betrayed,  through  the 
cruel  treachery  of  George  M.  Hinkle,  into  the  hands  of  armed 
mobocrats.  Being  court  martialed,  they  were  sentenced  to  be 
shot ;  but  this  failed,  by  the  interposition  of  Providence,  through 
Gen.  A.  W.  Doniphan.  They  were  then  hustled  off  to  prison, 
but  before  starting  were  allowed  a  few  minutes  to  bid  farewell 
to  their  families,  being  told  they  would  never  see  them  again. 

With  such  scenes  being  enacted ;  with  mob  rule  holding  sway ; 
plunderings,  drivings,  imprisonment  without  trial  or  conviction  ; 
with  poverty  and  distress— at  such  a  time  was  Joseph  F.  Smith 
brought  into  the  world.  His  childhood  days  were  spent  amid 
the  scenes  of  persecution  and  hardship  which  resulted  in  the 
martyrdom  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith.  His  mother  left 
Nauvoo  in  1846,  as  an  exile  from  her  home  and  country,  for  no 
other  cause  than  that  of  worshiping  God  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  her  own  conscience.  Although  at  this  time  Joseph  F. 
was  but  a  lad  of  eight  years,  he  drove  an  ox  team  for  his  mother 


100  PROPHETS  AND    PATRIARCHS. 

across  the  State  of  Iowa.  During  the  sojourn  of  the  family  at 
Winter  Quarters,  Joseph  was  occupied  as  a  herd  boy,  in  which 
he  took  special  pride,  feeling  that  his  mother's  cattle  were  ths 
only  means  by  which  they  were  to  make  their  way  across  the 
great  plains  of  the  far  west.  Even  after  reaching  the 
valley  Brother  Smith  was  engaged  (in  herding,  and  so  close  and 
conscientious  was  his  attention  to  duty  that  he  never  lost  a 
''hoof"  through  neglect  or  carelessness ;  this  attention  and  devo- 
tion to  responsibilities  placed  upon  him,  has  always  marked  his 
character  and  is  seen  in  all  the  labors  of  his  life. 

During  his  trials  at  Winter  Quarters,  while  herding  cattle,  he 
passed  through  a  thrilling  experience  with  Indians,  who  sud- 
denly came  upon  him  and  his  companions  for  the  purpose  of  driv- 
ing off  their  herd.  In  the  exciting  chase,  two  Indians,  one  on 
either  side,  rode  up  to  him,  and  taking  hold  of  his  arms,  lifted 
him  from  the  saddle,  and  probably  would  have  killed  him  but 
for  the  unexpected  appearance  of  a  number  of  men  who  were 
going  to  the  hay  field.  The  Indians  suddenly  dropped  him  to  the 
ground,  and  thus  by  the  aid  of  Providence  his  life  was  saved, 
his  bravery  and  fidelity  to  trust  having  saved  the  cattle. 
Brother  Smith  was  taught  by  the  example  and  precept  of  his 
faithful  mother,  that  in  the  performance  of  all  duties  and  labors 
he  should  go  to  the  Lord  in  prayer.  As  a  striking  illustration 
of  the  faith  with  which  he  became  imbued  in  his  early  boyhood, 
by  the  example  of  his  mother,  we  present  the  following  incident 
related  by  himself : 

"In  the  spring  of  1847  a  portion  of  our  family  crossed  the 
plains,  following  the  pioneers  to  the  Valley  of  the  Great  Salt 
Lake,  the  remainder  of  the  family  intending  to  proceed  on  their 
journey  to  the  west  the  following  spring.  In  the  fall  of  1847 
my  mother  and  her  brother,  Joseph  Fielding,  made  a  trip  down 
the  Missouri  river  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  about  150  miles,  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  provisions  and  clothing  for  the  family  for 
the  coming  winter,  and  for  the  journey  across  the  plains  the 
following  spring.  They  took  two  wagons  with  two  yoke  of 
oxen  on  each.  I  was  almost  nine  years  of  age  at  this  time,  and 
accompanied  my  mother  and  uncle  on  their  journey  as  a  team- 
ster. The  weather  was  unpropitious,  the  roads  were  bad,  and  it 
rained  a  great  deal  during  the  journey,  so  that  the  trip  was  a 
very  hard,  trying  and  unpleasant  one. 


JOSEPH  F.  SMITH. 


102  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

"At  St.  Joseph  we  purchased  our  groceries  and  dry  goods, 
and  at  Savannah  we  laid  in  our  store  of  flour,  meal,  corn,  bacon 
and  other  provisions.  Returning  to  Winter  Quarters,  we  camped 
one  evening  in  an  open  prairie  on  the  Missouri  river  bottoms, 
by  the  side  of  a  small  spring  creek,  which  emptied  into  the  river 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  us.  We  were  in  plain 
sight  of  the  river,  and  could  apparently  see  over  every  foot  of  the 
little  open  prairie  where  we  were  camped,  to  the  river  on  the 
southwest,  to  the  bluffs  on  the  northeast,  and  to  the  timber  which 
skirted  the  prairie  on  the  right  and  left.  Camping  near  by,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  creek,  were  some  men  with  a  herd  of  beef 
cattle,  which  they  were  driving  to  Savannah  and  St.  Joseph 
for  market.  We  usually  unyoked  our  oxen  and  turned  them 
loose  to  feed  during  our  encampment  at  night,  but  this  time,  on 
account  of  the  proximity  of  this  herd  of  cattle,  fearing  that  they 
might  get  mixed  up  and  driven  off  with  them,  we  turned  our 
oxen  out  to  feed  in  their  yokes.  Next  morning,  when  we  came 
to  look  them  up,  to  our  great  disappointment  our  best  yoke  of 
oxen  was  not  to  be  found.  Uncle  Fielding  and  I  spent  all  morn- 
ing, well  nigh  until  noon,  hunting  them,  but  without  avail.  The 
grass  was  tall  and  in  the  morning  was  wet  with  heavy  dew. 
Tramping  through  this  grass  and  through  the  woods  and  over 
bluffs,  we  were  soaked  to  the  skin,  fatigued,  disheartened  and  al- 
most exhausted.  In  this  pitiable  plight  I  was  the  first  to  return 
to  our  wagons,  and  as  I  approached  I  saw  my  mother  kneeling 
down  praying.  I  halted  for  a  moment,  and  then  gently  drew 
near  enough  to  hear  her  pleading  with  the  Lord  not  to  suffer  us 
to  be  left  in  this  helpless  condition,  but  to  lead  us  to  recover 
our  lost  team,  that  we  might  continue  on  our  travels  in  safety. 
When  she  arose  from  her  knees  I  was  standing  near  by.  The 
first  expression  I  caught  upon  her  precious  face  was  a  lovely 
smile,  which,  discouraged  as  I  was,  gave  me  renewed  hope  and 
an  assurance  I  had  not  felt  before.  A  few  moments  later  Uncle 
Fielding  came  to  the  camp,  wet  with  the  dews,  faint,  fatigued 
and  thoroughly  disheartened.  His  first  words  were,  'Well, 
Mary,  the  cattle  are  gone!'  Mother  replied  in  a  voice  which 
fairly  rang  with  cheerfulness,  'Never  mind,  your  breakfast  has 
been  waiting  for  hours,  and  now,  while  you  and  Joseph  are 
eating,  I  will  take  a  walk  out  and  see  if  I  can  find  the  cattle/ 

"My  uncle  held  up  his  hands  in  blank  astonishment,  and  if 


PRESIDENT  JOSEPH    F.    SMITH.  103 

the  Missouri  river  had  suddenly  turned  to  run  up  stream, 
neither  of  us  could  have  been  more  surprised.  'Why,  Mary,'  he 
exclaimed,  'what  do  you  mean?  We  have  been  all  over  this 
country,  all  through  the  timber  and  through  the  herd  of  cattle, 
and  our  oxen  are  gone ;  they  are  not  to  be  found.  I  believe  they 
have  been  driven  off,  and  it  is  useless  for  you  to  attempt  to  do 
such  a  thing  as  hunt  for  them.' 

"  'Never  mind  me,'  said  mother.  'Get  your  breakfast  and  I 
will  see,'  and  she  started  toward  the  river,  following  down  tho 
little  stream.  Before  she  had  proceeded  out  of  speaking  dis- 
tance the  man  in  charge  of  the  herd  of  beef  cattle  rode  up  from 
the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  and  called  out:  'Madam,  I  saw 
your  oxen  over  in  that  direction  this  morning  about  daybreak,' 
pointing  in  the  opposite  direction  from  that  in  which  mother  was 
going.  We  heard  plainly  what  he  said,  but  mother  went  right 
on,  paid  no  attention  to  his  remark,  and  did  not  even  turn  her 
head  to  look  at  him.  A  moment  later  the  man  rode  off  rapidly 
toward  his  herd,  which  had  been  gathered  in  the  opening  near 
the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  they  were  soon  under  full  drive  for 
the  road  leading  towards  Savannah  and  soon  disappeared  from 
view. 

"My  mother  continued  straight  down  the  little  stream  of 
water,  until  she  stood  almost  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  then 
she  beckoned  to  us.  I  was  watching  her  every  movement  and 
was  determined  that  she  should  not  get  out  of  my  sight.  In- 
stantly we  rose  from  the  'mess-chest,'  on  which  our  breakfast 
had  been  spread,  and  started  toward  her.  Like  John,  who  outran  ' 
the  other  disciple  to  the  sepulcher,  I  outran  my  uncle  and  came 
first  to  the  spot  where  my  mother  stood.  There  I  saw  our 
oxen  fastened  to  a  clump  of  willows  growing  in  the  bottom  of 
a  deep  gulch,  which  had  been  washed  out  of  the  sandy  banks  of 
the  river  by  the  little  spring  creek,  perfectly  concealed  from 
view.  We  were  not  long  in  releasing  them  from  bondage  and 
getting  back  to  our  camp,  where  the  other  cattle  had  been  fas- 
tened to  the  wagon  wheels  all  the  morning,  and  we  were  soon 
on  our  way  homeward  bound,  rejoicing. 

"This  circumstance  was  one  of  the  first  practical  and  positive 
demonstrations  of  the  efficacy  of  prayer  I  had  ever  witnessed. 
It  made  an  indelible  impression  upon  my  mind,  and  has  been  a 


104  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

source  of  comfort,  assurance  and  guidance  to  me  throughout 
all  my  life." 

The  impression  made  upon  Joseph's  mind  by  this  striking 
answer  to  his  mother's  prayer,  has  never  left  him,  but  has 
done  much  to  encourage  him  in  meeting  every  responsibility, 
and  causing  him  to  realize  that,  no  matter  how  arduous  the 
task,  the  Lord  will  not  fail  those  who  put  their  trust  in  Him. 

Crossing  the  plains  from  Missouri  river,  to  the  Salt  Lake 
valley,  Brother  Smith  (though  less  than  ten  years  of  age  at  that 
time)  drove  two  yoke  of  oxen  attached  to  a  heavily  laden 
wagon  the  entire  distance  of  more  than  one  thousand  miles. 
Reaching  the  valley  of  Salt  Lake  with  his  mother,  September 
23d,  1848,  he  continued  in  charge  of  the  cattle  as  herd  boy  for 
several  years,  and  never  lost  an  animal,  notwithstanding  the 
great  number  of  large  wolves  in  the  valley.  This  work  of  herd- 
ing was  interchanged  with  plowing,  harvesting,  canyon  work, 
etc.,  idleness  having  no  part  in  his  life. 

The  opportunities  for  education  in  those  early  days  of  trying 
experiences  of  the  Church  were  limited.  Such  learning  as 
Brother  Joseph  possessed  he  acquired  chiefly  from  his  mother. 
She  taught  him  to  read  the  Bible  during  their  pilgrimage  across 
the  plains,  in  the  tent  and  by  the  camp  fire.  Such  facilities  as 
have  been  afforded  him  have  not  passed  by  unimproved.  Being 
fond  of  books,  he  reads  extensively  the  best  of  them,  always 
with  a  purpose  in  view  to  learn  lessons  of  worth  for  practical 
use  in  life ;  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  man  living  applies  them 
'better  to  himself  and  family  than  does  President  Smith.  His 
mother  died  Sept.  21st,  1852,  leaving  him  an  orphan  at  the  age 
of  fourteen.  When  fifteen  years  of  age  he  was  called  on  a  mis 
sion  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  He  received  his  endowments  in 
the  old  Council  House,  -and  was  set  apart  in  the  same  building 
by  Apostle  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  Orson  Hyde.  Brother  Pratt, 
who  was  spokesman  in  setting  him  apart,  declared  that  he 
should  receive  the  knowledge  of  the  Hawaiian  language  "by  the 
gift  of  God  as  well  as  by  study."  This  prophecy  was  literally 
fulfilled,  for  in  less  than  four  months  from  his  arrival  (two 
weeks  of  this  time  was  spent  in  severe  sickness)  he  was  able  to 
make  a  tour  of  the  island  of  Maui,  to  preach,  baptize  and  ad- 
minister the  sacrament,  etc.,  all  in  the  native  language.  He 
left  his  mountain  home  to  fulfill  this  mission  on  May  27th,  1851, 


PRESIDENT   JOSEPH   F.   SMITH.  105 

in  company  with  other  missionaries.  The  southern  route  was 
taken,  as  far  as  Cedar,  with  President  Young  and  party  who 
were  on  their  tour  to  the  southern  settlements.  This  little 
band  of  missionaries  was  headed  by  Parley  P.  Pratt.  In 
crossing  the  desert  country  from  southern  Utah  to  California, 
they  were  followed  a  long  distance  by  numbers  of  Indians  who 
were  almost  famished  for  food.  The  only  alternative  was  to 
share  food  with  them,  which  the  company  did  to  keep  on  friendly 
terms.  As  a  result  the  missionaries  were  compelled  to  subsist 
on  very  short  rations,  consuming  the  last  of  their  supplies  the 
day  they  reached  €ajon  Pass. 

During  the  sojourn  of  Joseph  F.  in  California,  he  worked 
hard  for  a  livelihood  and  to  earn  means  sufficient  to  pay  his 
passage  across  the  Pacific  to  Honolulu,  much  of  his  time  being 
spent  in  the  manufacture  of  cut  shingles.  He  and  his  fellow 
missionaries  embarked  upon  the  "Vaquero,"  and  after  a  some- 
what disagreeable  voyage,  they  landed  in  Honolulu  September 
27th,  1854.  After  a  few  days  there,  Brother  Joseph  was  as- 
signed to  the  island  of  Maui,  to  labor  in  company  with  his 
cousin  Silas  Smith,  S.  B.  Thurston  and  Washington  B.  Rogers. 
He  was  shortly  afterwards  prostrated  for  more  than  two  weeks 
with  a  severe  fever.  Upon  his  recovery  he  was  assigned  to 
Kula,  the  place  where  President  Cannon  first  introduced  the 
Gospel  to  the  Hawaiian  race.  He  pursued  the  study  of  the 
language  with  much  diligence  and  faith,  soon  being  able  to 
bear  witness  that  "by  the  gift  of  God,  as  well  as  by  study," 
the  words  of  Brother  Pratt  concerning  his  acquisition  of  the 
language,  were  verified.  His  experience  brought  him  near  to 
the  Lord. 

Relative  to  the  manifestations  of  the  Spirit  to  him,  Elder 
Smith  says :  "Of  the  many  gifts  of  the  Spirit  which  were  mani- 
fest through  my  administration,  next  to  my  acquirement  of  the 
language,  the  most  prominent  was  perhaps  the  gift  of  healing 
and  the  casting  out  of  evil  spirits,  which  frequently  occurred." 
One  instance  occurred  at  Wailuku,  where  he  sojourned  with 
a  native  family,  being  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  language. 
One  night  the  woman  was  suddenly  seized  with  evil  spirits. 
She  went  through  all  manner  of  hideous  contortions.  Her 
husband  was  overcome  with  such  fear  that  he  trembled  as  a 
leaf  in  the  wind.  Brother  Joseph  was  also  somewhat  <lw» 


106  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

turbed  at  this  new  and  unexpected  demonstration,  but  suddenly 
all  fright  left  him;  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  rested  upon 
him,  and  he  stood  upon  his  feet,  facing  the  woman  possessed 
of  demons.  "In  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  I  rebuke 
you,"  he  said,  when  suddenly  the  woman  fell  limp  to  the  floor 
and  became  as  one  dead.  The  husband  pronounced  her  dead 
and  then  set  up  a  hideous  howl,  which  Joseph  promptly  rebuked, 
after  which  quiet  and  peace  were  restored  and  the  young  mis- 
sionary proceeded  with  his  studies. 

Brother  Joseph  labored  upon  the  Island  of  Alaui  over  eighteen 
months,  with  great  success.  The  readiness  by  which  he  ac- 
quired and  used  the  language  astonished  his  brethren  and 
the  natives.  After  President  F.  A.  Hammond  took  his  depart- 
ure for  his  'home  in  Utah,  Brother  Joseph  presided  over  the 
Maui  Conference ;  later  he  also  presided  over  the  Kobala  Con- 
ference for  six  months,  and  the  island  of  Hawaii  for  the  same 
length  of  time. 

Brother  Joseph  was  laboring  upon  the  latter  island  at  the 
time  of  the  great  volcanic  eruption  of  1855.  He  says :  "I  ex- 
perienced the  tremendous  shocks  of  earthquake  which  imme- 
diately preceded  the  eruptions,  and  subsequently  visited  the 
great  lava  How  which  issued  from  the  crater.  It  was  said  that 
this  eruption,  in  the  quantity  of  lava  thrown  out,  has  probably 
never  been  surpassed  during  the  residence  of  foreigners  on 
the  islands.  The  flow  continued  for  about  thirteen  months, 
reaching  to  within  six  or  seven  miles  of  the  city  of  Hilo,  more 
than  sixty  miles  from  the  crater.  The  city  and  bay  of  Hilo 
were  in  imminent  danger  of  destruction  for  months.  I  have 
seen  it  stated  since,  that  the  area  covered  by  lava  from  this 
eruption  exceeded  three  hundred  square  miles,  or  about  one- 
thirteenth  of  the  area  of  the  island  of  Hawaii." 

President  Smith  continued  his  labors  upon  the  islands  with 
efficiency,  passing  through  many  scenes  which  added  strength 
to  his  testimony  of  the  Gospel  and  fitted  him  for  the  positions 
of  responsibility  to  which  he  has  since  been  called.  He  has 
sometimes  said  that  he  was  never  thankful  but  once  that  liis 
first  mission  was  upon  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  that  once 
had  been  all  the  time,  from  the  time  of  his  mission  to  the 
present  date. 

Owing  to  the  approach  of  Johnson's  army  to  Utah,  President 


PRESIDENT   JOSEPH    F.   SMITH.  107 

Young  sent  instructions  that  he  desired  all  Elders  laboring  in 
foreign  missions  to  return  home.  Accordingly  President  Smith 
and  other  Elders  took  passage  on  the  bark  Yankee,  October  (?ch, 
1855.  Upon  landing  at  San  Francisco  they  reported  to  Presi- 
dent George  Q.  Cannon,  at  the  "Western  Standard"  office. 
Shortly  after  arriving  on  the  coast  Brother  Smith  journeyed 
south  to  Santa  Cruz,  there  joining  a  company.  He  next  ar- 
ranged to  drive  a  team  to  Utah  for  George  Crismon,  arriving  in 
Great  Salt  Lake  City  February  24th,  1858,  having  been  absenv 
four  years. 

Immediately  upon  his  return  home,  Joseph  F.  joined  the 
militia  and  started  with  an  expedition  to  intercept  the  hostile 
army  which  had  been  sent  to  Utah.  He  served  under  Col. 
Thomas  P.  Callister,  and  later  was  chaplain  of  the  regiment 
under  Col.  Heber  C.  Kimball.  He  says,  in  speaking  of  his 
enlistment  and  experiences  in  the  Utah  army:  "The  day 
following  my  arrival  home,  I  reported  myself  to  Presi- 
dent Young  and  immediately  enlisted  in  the  Legion  to  de- 
fend ourselves  against  the  encroachment  of  a  hostile  and 
menacing  army.  From  that  time  until  the  proclamation  of 
peace,  and  a  free  and  full  pardon  by  President  Buchanan  camo, 
I  was  constantly  in  my  saddle,  prospecting  and  exploring  the 
country  between  Great  Salt  Lake  'City  and  Fort  Bridger,  under 
the  command  of  Col.  Thos.  Callister  and  others.  I  was  on 
picket  guard  with  a  party  of  men  under  O.  P.  Rockwell  when 
Commissioners  Powell  and  McCullough  met  us  near  the  Weber 
river,  with  the  President's  proclamation.  Subsequently  I  wcs 
on  detail  in  the  deserted  city  of  Great  -Salt  Lake  until  after  the 
army  passed  through  and  thence  to  Camp  Floyd.  After  this  1 
assisted  my  relatives  to  return  to  their  homes,  from  which  they 
had  fled." 

At  the  session  of  the  legislature  held  in  the  winter  of  1858-9, 
President  Smith  officiated  as  sergeant-at-arms  in  the  council, 
and  on  March  29,  1858,  he  was  ordained  into  the  thirty-second 
quorum  of  Seventies.  He  was  married  April  5,  1859,  and  on 
October  IGth  of  the  same  year  was  ordained  a  High  Priest,  also 
being  made  a  member  of  the  High  Council  of  the  Salt  Lake 
Stake  of  Zion.  At  the  April  Conference,  1860,  Brother  Joseph 
was  called  on  a  mission  to  Great  Britain.  He  was  in  straitened 
circumstances  financially,  and  was  almost  obliged  to  discontinue 


108  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

housekeeping  and  allow  his  wife  to  return  to  her  mother's 
home  for  the  time  being.  (He  was  soon  on  his  way,  in  company 
with  his  cousin,  Samuel  B.  Smith,  each  driving  a  four-mule  team 
to  pay  their  way  across  the  plains.  They  sailed  for  Liverpool 
July  14,  arriving  in  that  port  on  the  27th  of  that  month.  Dur- 
ing his  mission  in  England  President  Smith  traveled  in  various 
conferences,  and  in  all  his  ministrations  among  the  Saints  and 
strangers  left  an  impression  for  good  that  can  never  be  effaced. 
President  George  Q.  Cannon  was  also  in  Great  Britain  on  a 
mission  at  the  same  time,  and  it  was  while  there  perhaps,  more 
than  any  other  place,  they  learned  to  love  and  esteem  each 
other,  where  a  friendship  was  established  which  grew  stronger 
as  the  years  went  by. 

During  his  mission  in  Europe  President  Smith,  with  Presi- 
dent Cannon,  visited  several  of  the  conferences  in  Denmark, 
and  with  Elder  Brigham  Young,  Jr.,  and  others,  visited  Paris, 
France.  Brother  Joseph  F.  was  released  after  filling  a  most 
honorable  and  efficient  mission,  returning  home  in  1863.  He 
was  in  New  York  'City  at  the  time  of  the  dreadful  riots  which 
occurred  in  July  of  that  year.  Arriving  home  he  found  his  wife 
in  a  very  poor  state  of  health,  which  for  some  time  grew 
worse,  but  he  waited  upon  her  day  and  night  with  little  or  no 
rest  for  many  weeks,  when  she  gradually  recovered  her  health. 

It  was  not  in  the  providences  of  the  Lord  that  Brother  Joseph 
F.  should  remain  long  at  that  period  of  his  life  to  enjoy  the 
quiet  and  peace  of  home,  for  in  March,  1864,  he  started  on  his 
second  mission  to  the  'Sandwich  Islands.  He  went  in  company 
with  Apostles  Lorenzo  Snow  and  Ezra  T.  Benson,  and  Elders 
William  W.  Cuff  and  Alma  L.  Smith.  The  purpose  of  their  mis- 
sion was  to  regulate  the  affairs  of  the  Church  on  the  islands, 
which  had  been  greatly  interfered  with  by  one  Walter  M. 
Gibson,  who  had  presumptuously  established  himself  as  leader 
of  the  Church  upon  the  Islands.  They  labored  faithfully  to 
convert  Mr.  Gibson  from  his  wrong  doing,  but  to  no  avail. 
The  man  was  not  honest  at  heart,  and  they  were  obliged,  for  the 
protection  of  the  native  Saints,  to  excommunicate  him.  This 
trouble  being  settled,  the  Apostles  soon  returned  to  America, 
leaving  President  Smith  and  other  American  Elders  in  charge 
of  the  mission,  from  which  he  returned  in  the  winter  of  1864-5. 

'Vhile  upon  this  mission  an  incident  occurred  which  is  worthy 


PRESIDENT   JOSEPH   F.   SMITH.  109 

of  note.  The  ship  upon  which  the  brethren  arrived  was 
anchored  in  the  channel,  where  the  sea  was  usually  very  rough. 
A  breakwater  had  been  constructed,  and  by  the  protection  of  it 
the  natives  successfully  ran  their  boats  ashore.  However,  in 
approaching  it  there  was  danger  of  disaster.  It  was  proposed 
to  land  the  passengers  in  the  ship's  freight  boat,  which  wa.i 
unwieldy  and  not  easily  managed.  President  Smith  at  once 
apprehended  the  danger,  and  stoutly  protested  against  incurring 
the  great  risk  of  capsizing  the  boat  at  the  breakwater.  He 
refused  to  accompany  them  and  tried  to  persuade  his  co- 
laborers  not  to  go.  They  were  persistent,  however,  and  made 
the  attempt,  although  Brother  Joseph  had  offered  to  go  alone 
if  necessary  for  a  better  boat.  When  they  determined  to  go,  he 
persuaded  them  to  permit  him  to  remain  on  the  anchored  ship 
and  leave  their  clothing  and  valuable  articles  with  him.  They 
consented  to  this  reluctantly,  and  as  they  moved  away  from  the 
ship,  Joseph  stood  upon  the  deck,  gazing  at  his  brethren  with 
awful  anxiety.  His  fears  were  well  grounded,  for  as  their 
boat  struck  the  breakwater,  a  heavy  wave  dashed  against 
it  and  instantly  capsized  it,  emptying  its  human  cargo 
into  the  surging  billows.  A  boat  manned  by  natives  came  to  the 
rescue  and  recovered  all  but  Apostle  Snow,  when  they  started 
for  shore.  Brother  W.  W.  Cluff  demanded  the  return  of  the 
boat,  that  they  might  secure  Brother  Snow,  which  was  done, 
and  his  body  was  recovered.  To  ail  appearance  he  was  dead. 
Through  the  mercies  of  the  Lord,  however,  he  was  restored  to 
life.  All  this  time  Brother  Joseph  stood  in  awful  suspense,  a 
helpless  spectator,  upon  the  anchored  ship.  This  action  of 
President  Smith  indicates  a  trait  which  has  been  manifested 
throughout  his  life — he  has  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  and 
is  most  vigorous  and  earnest  in  expressing  them. 

After  Brother  Smith  returned  home  from  this  mission  he 
was  variously  employed.  He  was  an  active  and  efficient  member 
of  the  city  council  for  several  terms ;  the  effects  of  his  influence 
in  that  municipal  body  are  today  monuments  of  worth  to  the 
city  of  Salt  Lake.  The  possession  of  Liberty  Park  by  Salt 
Lake  City  is  due  to  his  influence  and  determined  convictions 
more  than  to  the  labors  of  any  other  man.  July  1st,  1866,  he 
was  ordained  an  Apostle  by  President  Brigham  Young,  and  on 
the  8th  of  October,  1867,  was  called  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the 


110  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

council  of  the  Twelve.  When  President  Young  chose  to  have 
more  than  two  counselors,  Brother  Joseph  P.  was  one  of  the 
number  selected.  In  1868  he  was  called  with  Apostle  Woodruff 
and  Elder  A.  O.  Smoot,  to  go  to  Provo  and  labor  for  the  up- 
building of  that  city  and  Utah  county.  He  served  one  term  in 
the  Provo  city  council.  By  permission  of  President  Young,  in 
1808-9,  he  moved  his  family  back  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  resumed 
his  labors  there. 

On  February  28th,  1874,  Brother  Joseph  F.  started  on  his 
second  mission  to  Great  Britain,  this  time  to  preside  over 
'Lhe  European  mission.  During  his  labors  in  Europe,  Scan- 
dinavia, Germany,  Switzerland  and  France  were  visited,  as 
well  as  the  several  conferences  of  the  British  Isles.  He  proved 
himself  to  be  one  of  the  very  best  men  that  has  ever  presided 
over  any  mission,  not  only  for  his  prompt  and  wise  methods  of 
conducting  affairs,  but  also  his  humility  in  obeying  the  prompt- 
ings of  the  Spirit,  for  which  he  constantly  lives.  His  personal 
love  and  tender-hearted  kindness  to  every  Elder  in  the  mis- 
sion endeared  him  to  the  hearts  of  thousands. 

Soon  after  the  decease  of  President  G«o.  A.  Smith,  in  the 
fall  of  1875,  Brother  Smith  was  released  to  return  home,  and 
upon  returning  he  was  appointed  to  preside  over  the  Saints  in 
Davis  county,  which  at  that  time  was  not  organized  into  a 
stake.  He  held  this  position  until  the  spring  of  1877,  when  lie 
was  called  on  his  third  mission  to  Great  Britain.  Before  leav- 
ng  he  witnessed  the  dedication  of  the  St.  George  Temple,  the 
first  completed  in  the  Rocky  Mountain  country. 

About  the  1st  of  September  he  and  Elder  Orson  Pratt  re- 
ceived the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  President  Brigham  Young, 
and  were  requested  by  the  council  of  the  Apostles  to  imme- 
diately return  home.  They  reached  S<alt  Lake  City  September 
27,  1877,  and  the  following  year  Brother  Joseph  was  sent  with 
Elder  Pratt  on  a  short  mission  to  the  East.  They  visited  noted 
places  in  Church  history,  in  Missouri,  Illinois,  Ohio  and  New 
York,  calling  upon  David  Whitmer,  one  of  the  three  witnesses 
to  the  Book  of  Mormon. 

In  October,  1880,  when  the  Presidency  of  the  Church  was 
organized  with  President  John  Taylor  at  the  head,  Brother 
Smith  was  chosen  to  be  his  'Second  Counselor.  He  was  chosen 
to  the  same  position  under  President  Woodruff  and  President 


PRESIDENT  JOSEPH   F.   SMITH.  Ill 

Snow.  He  now  occupies  the  great  station  of  the  presidency, 
succeeding  President  Lorenzo  Snow.  During  the  presidency  of 
John  Taylor,  and  under  the  trying  scenes  of  the  anti-"Mormon'' 
crusade,  by  direction  of  President  Taylor,  Brother  Smith  per- 
formed another  faithful  mission  in  the  Sandwich  Islands. 
While  there  he  obtained  an  exact  copy  of  the  old  Spaulding 
story,  and  by  evidence  incontrovertible  showed  that  not  the 
slightest  resemblance  existed  between  the  Book  of  Mormon  and 
the  story- 

His  labors  in  the  city  council,  the  legislature  and  other  places 
of  civil  and  financial  responsibilities,  are  too  numerous  to 
mention  in  a  brief  sketch.  He  has  filled  every  position  of  trust 
assigned  him  with  such  unblemished  honesty  and  fidelity  that 
no  man  can  justly  say  aught  against  him.  One  of  the  grandest 
traits  of  his  character  is  impartial  justice.  The  great  system 
of  Patriarchal  marriage,  so  well  designed  to  prove  the  hearts  of 
men  and  women,  and  to  develop  in  them  the  principles  of  pure 
love,  charity,  justice  and  impartiality,  has  no  better  examples 
among  God's  people  than  President  Smith.  Whatever  obliga- 
tion he  is  under  to  that  sacred  principle  for  his  existence  and 
for  the  possession  of  his  own  posterity,  he  is  meeting  manfully, 
with  the  record  that  his  example  shall  exemplify  the  truth  as 
revealed  to  the  Prophet  Joseph. 

As  a  fitting  conclusion  of  this  meagre  sketch  of  a  useful  life, 
we  quote  a  pen  sketch  made  in  1900,  of  President  Smith  from 
Elder  Edward  H.  Anderson  : 

"President  Smith  has  been  constantly  in  the  service  of  the 
public  and  by  his  straightforward  course  has  won  the  love,  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  the  whole  community.  He  is  a  friend  of 
the  people,  is  easily  approached,  a  wise  counselor,  a  man  of 
broad  views,  and,  contrary  to  first  impressions,  is  a  man  whose 
sympathies  are  easily  aroused.  He  is  a  reflex  of  the  best 
character  of  the  'Mormon'  people — inured  to  hardships,  patient 
in  trial,  God-fearing,  self-sacrificing,  full  of  love  for  the  huma» 
race,  powerful  in  moral,  mental  and  physical  strength. 

"President  Joseph  F.  Smith  has  an  imposing  physical  appear- 
pearance.  Now  completing  his  sixty-second  year,  he  is  tall, 
erect,  well-knit  and  symmetrical  in  build.  He  has  a  prominent 
nose  and  features.  When  speaking  he  throws  his  full,  clear, 
brown  eyes  wide  open  on  the  listener,  who  may  readily  perceive 


112  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

from  their  penetrating  glimpses  the  wonderful  mental  power 
of  the  tall  forehead  above.  His  large  head  is  crowned  with  an 
abundant  growth  of  hair,  in  his  early  years  dark,  but  now,  like 
his  full  beard,  tinged  with  a  liberal  sprinkling  of  gray.  In 
conversation,  one  is  forcibly  impressed  with  the  sudden  changes 
in  appearance  of  his  countenance  under  the  different  influences 
of  his  mind ;  now  intensely  pleasant  with  an  enthusiastic  and 
childlike  interest  in  immediate  (subjects  and  surroundings ; 
now  absent,  the  mobility  of  his  features  set  in  that  earnest, 
almost  stern,  majesty  of  expression  so  characteristic  of  his  por- 
traits—so indicative  of  the  severity  of  the  conditions  and  en- 
vironments of  his  early  life. 

"As  a  public  speaker,  his  leading  trait  is  an  intense  earnest- 
ness. He  impresses  the  hearer  with  his  message  more  from 
the  sincerity  of  its  delivery  and  the  honest  earnestness  of  his 
manner,  than  from  any  learned  exhibition  of  oratory  or  studied 
display  of  logic.  He  touches  the  hearts  of  the  people  with  the 
simple  eloquence  of  one  who  is  himself  convinced  of  the  truths 
presented.  He  is  a  pillar  of  strength  in  the  Church,  thoroughly 
imbued  with  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  and  the  divine  origin  of 
this  work.  His  whole  life  and  testimony  are  an  inspiration  to 
the  young. 

"I  said  to  him :  'You  knew  Joseph,  the  Prophet ;  you  are  old 
in  the  work  of  the  Church ;  what  is  your  testimony  to  the  youth 
of  Zion  concerning  these  things?'  And  he  replied  slowly  and 
deliberately :  'I  was  acquainted  with  the  Prophet  Joseph  in 
my  youth.  I  was  familiar  in  his  home,  with  his  boys  and  with 
his  family.  I  have  sat  on  his  knee ;  I  have  heard  him  preach ; 
distinctly  remember  being  present  in  the  council  with  my  father 
and  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  others.  From  my  childhood 
to  youth  I  believed  him  to  be  a  Prophet  of  God.  From  my 
youth  until  the  present  I  have  not  believed  that  he  was  a 
Prophet,  for  I  have  known  that  he  was.  In  other  words,  my 
knowledge  has  superseded  rny  belief.  I  remember  seeing  him 
dressed  in  military  uniform  at  the  head  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion. 
I  saw  him  when  he  crossed  the  river,  returning  from  his  in- 
tended western  trip  into  the  Rocky  Mountains,  to  go  to  his 
martyrdom,  and  I  saw  his  lifeless  body,  together  with  that  of 
my  father,  after  they  were  murdered  in  Carthage  jail  and  still 
have  the  most  palpable  remembrance  of  the  gloom  and  sorrow 


PRESIDENT   JOSEPH   F.   SMITH.  113 

of  those  dreadful  days.  I  believe  in  the  divine  mission  of  the 
Prophet  of  the  nineteenth  century  with  all  my  heart,  and  in  the 
authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  the  inspiration  of  the 
Book  of  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  and  hope  to  be  faithful  to  God 
and  man,  and  not  false  to  myself,  to  the  end  of  my  days." 


PATRIARCH  JOHN  SMITH. 

John  Smith  is  a  name  so  exceedingly  common  that  it  is  not 
infrequently  used  by  humorists  and  others  for  characterization 
when  a  handier  cognomen  does  not  occur  to  them ;  and  indeed, 
without  some  striking  individuality  or  special  means  of  identifi- 
cation, the  name  may,  and  sometimes  does  produce  confusion  and 
uncertainty.  In  Utah  are  many  who  bear  it  with  an  addition 
before  or  after,  and  no  doubt,  as  elsewhere,  there  are  a  few 
who  have  the  name  in  all  its  simplicity,  undistinguished  by  any 
other.  Yet  there  is  one  among  the  Latter-day  Saints  who  is  so 
named,  and  whose  personality  and  position  are  so  striking  that 
he  is  hardly  ever  taken  for  another  or  vice  versa.  This  man<  is 
the  'one  whose  name  and  office  appear  at  the  heading  of  this 
chapter. 

John  Smith,  the  presiding  Patriarch  of  the  Church,  entered 
upon  this  sphere  of  action  seventy-three  years  ago,  the  exact 
date  of  his  birth  being  Sept.  22nd,  1832,  and  the  place  Kirtland, 
Lake  (then  Geauga)  county,  Ohio.  His  father,  Hyrum  Smith, 
was  the  Patriarch,  who  sealed  his  testimony  with  his  blood  along 
with  his  brother  Joseph ;  the  mother  was  Jerusha  Barden  'Smith, 
who  died  October  13th,  1837.  The  father  was  again  married, 
on  December  24th,  1837,  to  'Miss  Mary  Fielding,  who  bore  him 
a  son  and  a  daughter.  Young  John  accompanied  his  father's 
family  to  Far  West,  that  place  around  whose  name  so  many 
painful  recollections  to  the  Saints  center,  early  in  1838.  Perse- 
cution was  rife.  During  that  year  his  Patriarch  father  and 
Prophet  uncle  were  hounded  in  various  ways  by  howling  mobs 
and  finally  lodged  in  Liberty  county  jail,  but  were  subsequently 
released.  Expulsion  from  the  community  and  the  State  are 
also  among  the  youthful  recollections  of  the  present  Patriarch ; 
these  with  many  other  tribulations  for  the  Gospel's  sake  going 
to  make  up  a  very  turbulent  commencement  of  a  life's  journey. 

After  varied  experiences,  all  involving  innumerable  hardships, 
the  family  at  last  reached  Commerce,  Illinois,  the  town  which 


JOHN  SMITH. 


116  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

afterwards  became  world-renowned  as  Nauvoo.  Young  John 
left  his  people  and  started  with  Heber  C.  Kimball's  family  for 
the  ''Wild  West"  in  February,  18i7.  On  this  expedition  his  ex- 
periences were  numerous.  He  had  to  do  all  kinds  of  work  and 
endure  all  kinds  of  privations.  During  the  early  part  of  the 
journey  across  the  plains  he  became  acquainted  with  Col. 
Thomas  L.  Kane,  whose  name  is  held  in  high  regard  by  the 
Latter-day  Saints,  and  became  a  nurse  for  that  distinguished 
gentleman  when  suffering  from  an  attack  of  sickness.  After 
going  back  over  a  great  portion  of  the  journey  traversed  to 
meet  his  relatives,  whom  he  heard  were  coming,  and  returning 
to  Winter  Quarters  where  an  extended  stay  occurred,  the  party 
at  last  were  off  for  the  "vast,  booming,  bounding  West,"  com- 
mencing the  journey  during  the  month  of  April,  1848.  It  proved 
to  be  an  unusually  hard  journey,  filled  with  trials  and  perils, 
but  under  the  providence  of  the  Lord  it  was  finished  in  safety  on 
the  22nd  of  September,  Brother  Smith's  sixteenth  birthday. 
As  a  sample  of  many  occurrences  of  that  trying  trip,  the  fol- 
lowing from  the  "Juvenile  Instructor"  is  here  given : 

"On  one  occasion  a  circumstance  occurred  which  he  feels 
he  will  never  forget.  At  about  sundown,  while  the  party  were 
encamped  on  the  Platte  river,  it  was  reported  that  a  woman 
was  lost.  Without  ceremony  he  took  his  coat  on  his  arm  and 
a  piece  of  corn  bread  in  his  hand  and  started  out  up  the  road, 
to  follow  a  part  of  the  company  which  had  left  at  noon.  He 
had  not  gone  far  when  he  came  up  with  a  dead  carcass,  which 
was  covered  with  wolves  fighting  and  howling.  He  walked 
past  as  fast  and  as  quietly  as  possible.  He  traveled  six  miles 
before  he  came  up  with  any  wagons.  During  this  distance  he 
passed  about  twenty  such  frightful  scenes,  but  he  got  through 
in  safety,  and  he  thinks  he  was  unnoticed  by  the  wolves.  He 
stopped  for  the  balance  of  the  night  with  an  acquaintance,  and 
at  daybreak  proceeded  on  his  journey  and  found  the  lost  woman, 
a  little  after  sunrise,  safe  with  her  mother,  six  miles  from  where 
he  stayed  for  the  night." 

Brother  Smith's  career  in  Utah,  like  that  of  so  many  others 
who  came  at  or  close  to  the  beginning,  has  been  exceedingly 
varied.  All  kinds  of  service,  public  and  private,  military  and 
civil,  religious  and  secular,  have  fallen  to  his  lot  and  always  has 
it  received  proper  attention  and  correct  performance.  He  also 


PATRIARCH   JOHN  SMITH.  117 

filled  a  successful  mission  to  Scandinavia,  on  which  he  set  out 
iu  May,  1802 ;  his  experiences  on  this  mission  were  at  times 
most  trying,  but  he  faltered  not  and  came  home  at  last  with  a 
company  of  972  Saints.  On  December  25th,  1853,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Helen  M.  Fisher,  who  has  borne  him  five  sons  and 
four  daughters.  His  ordination  to  the  office  of  Patriarch  was 
in  February,  1855,  under  the  hands  of  Presidents  Brigham 
Young,  Heber  C.  Kimball  and  Jedediah  M.  Grant ;  and  Apostles 
Orson  Hyde,  Orson  Pratt,  Wilford  Woodruff,  George  A.  Smith 
and  Lorenzo  Snow.  During  his  administration  of  this  high 
and  holy  office,  Brother  Smith  has  given  15,863  Patriarchal 
blessings.  Notwithstanding  his  years  and  the  dazzling  white- 
ness of  his  hair  and  beard,  he  is  as  active  and  spry  as  many  a 
man  of  half  his  years.  May  he  long  continue  so.  The  writer 
received  a  Patriarchal  blessing  at  the  hands  of  Patriarch  Smith, 
when  nineteen  years  of  age.  Many  glorious  promises  therein 
have  been. literally  fulfilled.  This  may  be  said  of  the  thousands 
of  blessings  he  has  given,  for  he  enjoys  the  spirit  of  his  calling, 
and  his  predictions  will  be  fulfilled.  Happy  is  the  man  who 
receives  a  blessing  from  him  who  holds  the  keys  of  the  office. 
Brother  Smith  is  kind,  genial  and  fatherly,  sociable  with  all  and 
unassuming  in  his  disposition.  May  his  life  be  preserved  for 
many  years  to  bless  the  people  of  God. 


PRESIDENT  HEBER  C.  KIMBALL. 

HEBER  C.  KIMBALL  was  born  in  Sheldon,  Franklin  county, 
Vermont,  on  June  14th,  1801.  His  father  was  a  blacksmith  and 
farmer,  and  taught  by  example  and  precept  that  "To  earn  the 
bread  by  the  sweat  of  the  brow"  was  honorable  so  long  as  the 
labor  performed  had  nothing  to  do  with  intemperance  or  im- 
morality in  any  particular.  The  Kimball  family  moved  to 
West  Bloomfield,  Ontario  county,  New  York,  in  1811.  Heber 
C.  went  to  school  when  five  years  of  age,  and  continued  most  of 
the  time  until  fourteen,  when  he  commenced  to  learn  black- 
smithing.  During  the  war  of  1812  his  father  lost  his  property 
and  was  much  reduced  in  circumstances.  At  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, Heber  found  himself  dependent  upon  his  own  resources. 
In  this  condition  he  accepted  an  offer  from  his  elder  brother, 
Charles,  to  learn  the  potter's  trade,  and  many  times  in  later  life, 
while  preaching  the  Gospel,  he  used  the  familiar  phrase  that 
we  should  become,  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  "as  clay  in  the  hands 
of  the  potter."  In  the  meantime  he  had  moved  to  Mendon, 
Monroe  county,  New  York.  In  November,  1822,  he  married 
Vilate  Murray,  a  most  estimable  young  lady,  born  in  Florida, 
New  York,  June  1st,  1806.  He  followed  the  potter's  trade  for 
more  than  ten  years.  He  became  a  Free  Mason  in  1823,  receiv- 
ing the  first  three  degrees  of  Masonry.  In  1824,  with  five 
others,  he  petitioned  the  chapter  to  receive  all  the  degrees  of 
Masonry  up  to  that  of  Royal  Arch  Mason.  The  petition  was 
granted. 

Brother  Kimball  evinced  strong  religious  tendencies  in  early 
life,  and  he  had  many  pressing  invitations  to  identify  himself 
with  one  or  another  of  the  religious  sects.  Feeling  anxious  to 
find  the  truth,  he  joined  the  Baptists,  believing  it  to  be  the  best 
he  could  do  at  the  time.  Still  he  felt  that  something  was  lack- 
ing. Three  weeks  later  Elders  representing  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  came  into  the  neighborhood  and 
were  received  at  the  home  of  Phineas  H.  Young.  Brother  Kim- 
ball went  to  hear  them  preach  and  was  deeply  impressed  with 


UEBER  C.   KIMBALL. 


120  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

their  teachings  and  testimonies.  He  desired  to  know  more,  and 
with  Brothers  Brigham  and  Phineas  H.  Young  went  to  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  spent  six  days  with  the  Church,  attending 
the  meetings  with  great  interest. 

In  April,  1832,  Elder  Alpheus  Gifford  came  to  Brother  Kim- 
ball's  pottery,  and  after  a  few  moments'  conversation  the  latter 
requested  baptism,  which  Elder  Gifford  cheerfully  administered. 
Two  weeks  later  his  wife  Vilate  was  baptized  by  Elder 
Joseph  Young.  Elder  Brigham  Young  and  Brother  Kimball 
commenced  preaching  the  Gospel  in  Genesee,  Avon  and  Lyons- 
town,  where  they  baptized  a  number  of  persons  and  organized 
several  branches. 

In  September,  1832,  Elder  Kimball  visited  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  at  Kirtland,  Ohio ;  later  he  sold  his  possessions,  and  with 
Brother  Brigham  Young  removed  to  Kirtland,  then  the  horae 
of  the  Saints.  In  May,  1834,  he  started  with  Zion's  Camp  on 
Salt  River,  Missouri ;  he  was  chosen  as  one  of  the  Prophet's 
life  guards.  He  suffered  from  an  attack  of  cholera,  but  was 
healed  by  the  power  of  God.  During  all  the  trials  of  their 
march  to  Missouri  and  back,  Brother  Kimball  bore  his  responsi- 
bilities with  patience,  and  was  never  known  to  murmur  at  his 
lot  or  against  the  Prophet.  He  returned  to  Kirtland  July  20th, 
1834,  where  he  established  a  pottery  and  worked  at  his  trade 
until  winter.  During  the  winter  he  attended  the  theological 
schools  in  Kirtland.  February  14th,  1835,  he  was  ordained  to 
the  Apostleship,  becoming  one  of  the  first  quorum  of  the  Twelve 
in  this  dispensation. 

On  the  3d  of  May  he,  with  his  fellow  Apostles,  went  on  a 
mission  to  the  branches  of  the  Church  in  the  East.  He  visited 
Sheldon,  Vermont,  his  native  town,  and  preached  to  his  friends 
and  relatives.  He  also  visited  New  York,  met  with  the  Twelve 
in  conference  at  St.  Johnsbury,  Vermont,  and  returned  to  Kirt- 
land September  25th,  1835. 

Apostle  Kimball  was  present  at  the  dedication  of  the  Kirt- 
land Temple,  March  27th,  1836.  He  received  his  blessings 
therein  and  participated  in  the  great  spiritual  work  bestowed 
in  that  holy  edifice.  After  the  dedication  he  filled  a  mission  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  United  States,  and  returned  to  Kirt- 
land in  October.  He  was  called  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
to  carry  the  Gospel  to  England,  to  open  the  door  of  salvation  to 


PRESIDENT   IIEBER   C.  KIMBALL.  121 

the  inhabitants  of  that  land.  The  year  1837  was  one  of 
troublous  scenes  in  the  Church.  Many  apostatized,  several  of 
the  Twelve  being  among  the  number.  Elder  Kimball  was  very 
sorrowful  over  the  conditions  existing,  but  was  among  the 
valiant  number  who  were  true  to  God  and  His  Prophet,  'though 
assailed  by  enemies  on  every  hand.  June  13th,  1837,  accom- 
panied by  Orson  Hyde,  Willard  Richards  and  Joseph  Fielding, 
he  started  on  his  mission  to  England.  At  New  York  they  were 
joined  by  several  others  and  set  sail  across  the  mighty  deep, 
the  first  to  bear  the  glad  tidings  of  the  new  dispensation  to  the 
shores  of  Europe.  They  reached  Liverpool  on  the  ship  Garrick, 
July  20th,  1837.  The  history  of  Apostle  Kimball's  first  mission 
in  England  would  make  an  interesting  little  volume  of  itslef,  as 
thrilling  and  accompanied  by  the  power  of  God  as  thoroughly  as 
were  the  travels  of  the  Apostle  Paul  in  southern  Europe,  more 
than  1800  years  before.  Elder  Kimball  returned  to  Kirtland 
May  22d,  1838,  being  absent  eleven  months,  and  with  his  asso- 
ciates was  instrumental  in  baptizing  nearly  1,500  people,  be- 
sides organizing  large  branches  of  the  Church  in  various  parts 
of  England,  thus  opening  and  establishing  the  European  mis- 
sion, from  which  has  come  to  the  Church  of  Christ  in  the  last 
days  more  than  100,000  people. 

President  Smith  and  other  leading  men  having  removed  to 
Missouri,  Elder  Kimball  located  with  his  family  at  Far  West. 
They  journeyed  chiefly  by  water  on  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and 
Missouri  rivers,  reaching  Far  West  July  25th,  1838,  and  en- 
joyed a  happy  meeting  with  the  Prophet  Joseph  and  other 
leading  men. 

Brother  Kimball  immediately  set  to  work  building  a  small 
house  for  the  occupancy  of  himself  and  family.  During  its  erec- 
tion they  lived  in  a  small  shanty  about  eleven  feet  square,  so 
low  that  Brother  Kimball  could  scarcely  stand  upright  in  it 
with  his  six  feet  of  stature. 

During  the  summer  he  went  with  the  Prophet  Joseph  and 
others  to  Daviess  county,  to  afford  the  Saints  protection  against 
mob  violence.  At  the  incursion  of  Far  West  by  the  mob  militia, 
Elder  Kimball  was  present  to  offer  his  life  or  undergo  any  ordeal 
that  might  come  upon  the  Saints.  He  visited,  in  company  with 
President  Young,  the  Prophet  in  prison,  and  did  ill  that  he 
could  to  secure  his  release.  He  was  also  active  in  providing  for 


122  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

the  comfort  of  the  wounded  and  helpless  who  had  suffered  from 
the  outrages  of  their  enemies.  He  attended  the  secret  con- 
ference on  the  Temple  grounds  April  26th,  1839,  at  which 
Wilford  Woodruff  and  George  A.  'Smith  were  ordained  to  the 
Apostleship.  He  went  with  the  Twelve  to  Quincy,  111.,  where 
his  family  awaited  him,  and  from  thence  moved  to  Nauvoo, 
where  he  built  a  home  which  still  remains,  sixty-one  years  of 
age,  and  the  letters  H.  C.  K.  are  still  seen  on  thei  front  of  the 
building.  Nauvoo,  the  former  home  of  the  exiled  Saints,  though 
reduced  from  a  population  of  15,000  to  1,200  is  still  marked 
with  the  old  residences  of  Joseph  Smith,  Brigham  Young,  Heber 
C.  Kimball  and  many  others  of  the  leading  men,  who  were 
robbed  of  their  possessions  by  the  action  of  mobs  in  1845  and 
1846. 

In  September,  1839,  with  President  Brigham  Young,  Elder 
Kimball  went  to  England  on  his  second  mission.  He  was 
hailed  with  delight  by  his  former  acquaintances.  He  labored 
with  great  diligence  for  over  a  year.  They  reached  Liverpool 
April  6th,  1840,  and  returned  to  Nauvoo  July  1st,  1841,  where 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Nauvoo  city  council  and  labored 
in  various  capacities  to  promote  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  -Church.  From  September  10th,  to  November  4th,  1842,  he, 
with  Brigham  Young,  George  A.  Smith  and  Amasa  M.  Lyman, 
labored  diligently  in  Illinois  to  allay  excitement,  remove  preju- 
dice and  correct  false  doctrine.  In  July,  1843,  he  went  on  a 
preaching  mission  to  the  Eastern  States,  returning  to  Nauvoo 
October  22d  of  the  same  year. 

May  21st,  1844,  he  went  to  Washington  to  petition  the  au- 
thorities of  the  Nation  to  redress  the  grievances  heaped  upon  the 
Saints  by  their  enemies  in  Missouri  and  Illinois.  On  his  return 
he  heard  the  sad  2iews  of  the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum 
Smith.  Apostle  Kimball  was  active  in  sustaining  the  Saints 
in  their  great  affliction  by  his  encouraging  counsel.  He  united 
witli  his  brethren  to  finish  the  Nauvoo  Temple  and  in  every  way 
fully  met,  under  unfavorable  circumstances,  the  responsibili- 
ties of  his  high  calling.  What  the  people  suffered,  he  suffered; 
the  labors  which  they  performed,  he  performed.  After  the 
trying  experience  of  the  exodus  from  Nauvoo,  and  the  journey 
to  Winter  Quarters,  he  became  one  of  the  historic  143  who 


PRESIDENT   HEBEB   C.  KIMBALL,.  123 

constituted  the  Pioneer  company  which  entered  Salt  Lake 
Valley  July  24th,  1847. 

Elder  Kimball  was  one  of  the  foremost  men  in  all  the  labors 
incidental  to  founding  a  great  commonwealth  in  a  desert  land. 
In  December,  1847,  when  President  Young  was  sustained  as 
President  of  the  Church,  Apostle  Kimball  was  chosen  as  his 
First  Counselor,  and  retained  this  position  with  credit  and 
ability  until  his  death  in  1868.  He  was  also  lieutenant-gov- 
ernor of  the  provisional  'State  of  Deseret.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  legislative  council,  the  last  three 
years  being  president  of  that  body.  .He  was  ever  constant  in 
his  devotion  to  the  Church,  the  State  and  the  Nation.  He  was 
a  typical  American  as  were  his  ancestors  for  many  generations. 
He  officiated  in  the  house  of  the  Lord ;  he  visited  every  settle- 
ment in  Utah,  most  of  them  many  times ;  preached  the  Gospel ; 
uttered  many  prophecies  which  have  received  literal  fulfillment; 
and  gave  counsel,  spiritual  and  temporal,  to  advance  the  work 
of  God  upon  the  earth.  In  May,  1868,  he  received  a  severe 
fall  in  Prove,  which  brought  on  sickness  and  resulted  in  his 
death  on  June  2d  following,  at  his  home  in  Salt  Lake  City. 
He  died  as  he  lived,  true,  full  of  faith,  and  the  hope  of  a  glorious 
resurrection. 

President  Kimball  was  a  man  of  dignified  bearing  and  well 
proportioned ;  complexion  dark.  His  hair  was  thin.  His 
piercing  dark  eyes  seemed  to  penetrate  one's  very  soul  and  read 
the  thoughts  of  the  human  mind.  Many  times  he  told  men 
what  they  had  done  and  what  would  befall  them ;  not  by  human 
knowledge,  but  by  the  spirit  of  discernment  and  revelation. 
He  had  many  odd  sayings  which,  uttered  by  him,  left  a  lasting 
impression  upon  his  hearers  in  public  and  private.  With  all  his 
frank  and  fearless  manner  of  saying  to  men  what  many  would 
shrink  from  telling,  he  was  a  loving,  peaceful  man,  and  was 
designated  the  "Herald  of  Peace." 

During  the  early  hard  times  in  Salt  Lake  City,  President 
Kimball  was  so  blessed  with  temporal  subsistence,  brendstuffs 
chiefly,  that  he  was  able  to  feed  his  own  numerous  family  and 
lend  to  men  considered  much  better  financiers  than  himself. 
His  special  gift  of  the  Spirit  was  that  of  prophecy.  His  pre- 
dictions and  their  fulfillment  would  make  a  long  chapter  of 
themselves  and  full  of  thrilling  interest. 


124  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

When  the  Saints  were  about  to  settle  in  Commerce,  111.,  and 
though  received  with  open  arms  by  the  good  people  of  that 
place,  President  Kimball  looked  upon  the  splendid  site  and 
said  sorrowfully,  "This  is  a  beautiful  place,  but  not  long  a 
resting  place  for  the  Saints."  Sidney  Rigdon  was  vexed  at  the 
prediction,  but  its  fulfillment  is  too  well  known  to  need  recital 
here.  When  trying  times  pressed  the  'Saints  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
and  a  thousand  miles  separated  them  from  commercial  points, 
President  Kimball  stood  up  in  the  Tabernacle  and  predicted 
that  in  less  than  six  months  clothing  and  other  goods  would  be 
sold  in  the  streets  of  Salt  Lake  City  cheaper  than  they  could 
be  bought  in  New  York.  This  astonished  the  people.  One  of 
his  fellow  Apostles  said  to  him  after  the  meeting  that  he  did  not 
believe  it.  "Neither  do  I,"  said  Brother  Kimball,  "but  I  said  it. 
It  will  have  to  go."  No  one  saw  the  possibility  of  its  verifica- 
tion. Six  months,  however,  had  not  passed  away  when  a  large 
company  of  emigrants  from  the  east,  burning  with  the  gold  fever, 
came  into  the  city,  and  becoming  eager  to  reach  the  glittering 
treasure  fields  of  California,  sold  their  merchandise  on  the 
streets  for  less  than  New  York  figures ;  they  also  sold  their  large 
animals  for  pack  horses  and  thus  more  than  literally  fulfilled  the 
remarkable  prophecy  of  President  Kimball. 

These  are  but  examples  of  many  like  predictions  uttered  by 
this  great  Apostle  of  the  Lord.  He  was  broad  and  magnanimous 
in  his  ways  and  uniformly  kind  to  the  widow  and  the  fatherless. 
He  was  beloved  by  his  associates  in  the  Apostleship  and  by  all 
the  Saints.  He  was  in  the  greatest  measure  possessed  of  the 
characteristics  of  an  honest  man,  "The  noblest  work  of  God." 


PRESIDENT  WILLARD  RICHARDS. 

WILLARD  RICHARDS,  known  as  Dr.  Richards,  was  one  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles  from  April  14th,  1840,  to  1847,  when  he  was 
chosen  and  sustained  as  Second  Counselor  to  President  Brigham 
Young,  which  position  he  occupied  until  his  death,  in  1854. 
He  was  born  at  Hopkinston,  Middlesex  county,  Massachusetts, 
June  24th,  1804,  and  was  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Rhoda  Rich- 
ards. His  progenitors  were  among  the  early  settlers  of  New 
England.  His  parents  were  religious  and  early  impressed  their 
children  with  religious  sentiments.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  he 
applied  for  membership  in  the-  Congregational  church,  having 
passed  the  ordeal  of  conversion,  but  for  some  cause  his  applica- 
tion was  disregarded  and  this  led  him  to  scrutinize  more  thor- 
oughly the  tenets  of  their  faith,  and  in  fact  those  of  modern 
"Christianity"  as  a  whole.  The  result  of  his  researches  was 
a  most  profound  and  emphatic  conviction  that  no  sectarian 
church  possessed  more  than  mere  fragments  of  Gospel  truth, 
and  all  were  destitute  of  authority  to  administer  the  ordinances 
thereof.  With  this  conviction,  came  also  the  strong  prophetic 
impression  that  the  Lord  would  in  the  near  future  restore  the 
Gospel  and  establish  His  Church  upon  the  earth  by  revelation. 

With  such  convictions,  from  this  time  on,  he  held  himself 
aloof  from  all  those  churches.  If  anyone  asked  why.  he  freely 
told  them  his  impressions  and  belief,  regardless  of  the  popular 
sentiment  against  such  views.  He  learned  the  Thompsonian 
system  of  medicine  and  was  practicing  his  profession  near  the 
city  of  Boston  when,  in  1835,  he  providentially  found  at  the 
home  of  his  cousin,  Lucy  Parker,  a  copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
left  there  by  his  counsin,  Elder  Brigham  Young.  Before  this 
he  had  never  seen  a  publication  or  an  Elder  of  the  Church. 
All  he  knew  of  'the  Mormons  was  from  scurrilous  newspaper 
reports,  which  simply  amounted  to  the  statement  that  "some 
boy  named  Smith  out  west  had  found  a  golden  Bible." 

When  Dr.  Richards  opened  the  Book  of  Mormon,  regardless 
of  page  or  paragraph,  and  knowing  nothing  of  its  claims,  he 


126  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

had  read  but  half  a  page  when  he  exclaimed :  "God  or  the 
devil  has  had  a  hand  in  that  book,  for  man  never  wrote  it !" 
In  about  two  weeks  he  read  the  book  twice,  and  arose  from  its 
perusal  a  witness  of  the  promise  that  whosoever  will  read  the 
Book  of  Mormon  with  a  prayerful,  honest  heart  shall  receive  a 
conviction  of  its  truth.  Thoroughly  satisfied  that  the  record 
was  divine,  he  at  once  commenced  selling  his  stock  of  medicine 
and  settling  his  business  that  he  might  repair  to  Kirtland,  Ohio, 
for  a  complete  investigation  of  the  Church  and  its  doctrines. 
At  the  time  he  decermined  to  investigate  the  truth,  he  was 
stricken  with  palsy  and  suffered  from  this  malady  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  On  account  of  this  sickness,  his  journey 
to  Kirtland  was  deferred  until  October,  1836.  His  brother, 
Dr.  Levi  Richards,  went  with  him  and  attended  him  as  phy- 
sician. Upon  his  arrival  in  Kirtland  they  were  most  cordially 
received  and  cared  for  by  their  cousin,  Brigham  Young.  On 
Dec.  31st,  1836,  Elder  Young  baptized  his  cousin  Willard,  who 
at  once  cast  his  lot  and  all  his  interests  with  the  Saints. 

March  6th,  1837,  Willard  was  ordained  an  Elder  'by  Alva 
Beeman,  and  in  a  few  days  was  off  on  a  mission  to  the  New 
England  States,  from  which  he  returned  June  llth.  He  was 
not  to  be  idle  nor  to  be  occupied  with  worldly  matters.  God 
ordained  him  to  a  higher  purpose.  The  next  day,  following  his 
return  from  his  first  mission,  he  was  blessed  and  set  apart  by 
the  Prophet  Joseph  to  go  with  Heber  C.  Kimball  and  assist 
in  the  introduction  of  the  Gospel  to  the  nations  of  Europe. 
Landing  in  Great  Britain,  they  soon  established  the  Church 
in  Preston,  when  Elder  Richards  was  assigned  to  Bedford  and 
vicinity,  where  he  labored  with  much  success. 

He  returned  to  Preston  and  was  there  ordained  in  confer- 
ence, April  1st,  1838,  a  High  Priest.  Upon  the  return  of 
Apostles  Kimball  and  Hyde  to  America,  Brother  Richards  was 
appointed  First  Counselor  to  Joseph  Fielding  in  the  presi- 
dency of  the  British  mission.  While  in  England  President 
Kimball  baptized  a  lady  named  Jennietta  Richards.  The  day  of 
her  baptism  Elder  Kimball  said  to  Brother  Richards,  "Willard, 
I  baptized  your  wife  today."  Without  any  effort  to  fulfill  the 
prophecy,  Elder  Richards  became  attached  to  this  noble  lady 
and  she  was  married  to  him  September  24th,  1838.  In  1839 
he  labored  successfully  in  Manchester,  Bolton,  Preston  and 


WILLARD   RICHARDS. 


128  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

several  other  places.  July  8th,  1838,  he  was  called  by  revela- 
tion to  be  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  To  this  high  office  he 
was  ordained  in  England  April  14th,  1840,  the  first  and  only 
Apostle  of  this  dispensation  as  yet  ordained  in  foreign  land, 
assistant  editor  to  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  performed  other  general 
When  the  "  Millennial  Star "  was  established,  he  labored  as 
duties  incidental  to  the  presidency  of  the  mission.  From  Pres- 
ton he  moved  his  family  to  Manchester  in  February,  1841,  and  in 
April  of  the  same  year  returned  with  others  of  the  Twelve 
to  the  body  of  the  Church  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  where  they 
arrived  August  16th,  1841. 

Brother  Richards,  agreeably  to  counsel,  located  for  the  time 
in  Warsaw,  a  few  miles  from  Nauvoo.  This  was  a  bitter  anti- 
Mormon  city,  in  which  was  conducted  a  scurrilous  sheet  called 
the  "  Warsaw  Signal." 

October  30th,  Apostle  Richards  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
Nauvoo  city  council,  and  removed  to  Nauvoo  in  December,  1841. 
December  13th  he  was  appointed  recorder  for  the  temple,  private 
secretary  to  Joseph  the  Prophet,  and  general  clerk.  Each  posi- 
tion he  filled  with  marked  ability  and  credit  to  the  cause.  From 
this  time  forth  until  the  martyrdom  of  the  Prophet  he  was 
with  Joseph,  keeping  his  private  journal  and  recording  all  im- 
portant events  in  Church  history.  When  the  martyrdom  of 
Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith  occurred,  Willard  Richards  and 
Apostle  John  Taylor  were  in  prison  with  the  Prophet  and  the 
Patriarch,  as  their  bosom  friends.  When  the  assault  was  made 
upon  the  jail  by  the  infuriated  mobocrats,  Elder  Taylor  and 
Richards  stood  at  the  door  parrying  off  the  intruding  guns  with 
their  walking  sticks.  When  Joseph  fell  from  the  window  and 
was  being  slain  by  his  enemies,  Apostle  Richards  rushed  to  the 
window  in>  the  face  of  the  muskets  on  the  outside,  and  secured 
a  glimpse  of  his  dying  friend  and  inspired  leader.  There  he 
stood  with  intent  look,  gazing  upon  the  slain  Prophet  of  God 
until  he  felt  assured  that  the  noble  spirit  had  taken  its  flight. 
He  then  carried  the  wounded  body  of  his  fellow-Apostle,  John 
Taylor,  into  a  room  of  the  jail  and  there  remained  until  the 
mob  had  lied,  panic-stricken,  from  the  scene.  Elder  Richards 
escaped  without  so  much  as  a  "hole  in  his  robe."  President 
Taylor  was  seriously  wounded  with  four  bullets.  All  the 
Twelve  but  these  two  were  in  the  East. 


PRESIDENT   WILLARD   RICHARDS.  129 

Elder  Taylor  being  wounded,  the  burden  of  responsibility  to 
counsel  and  direct  the  Saints  in  their  troubles  was  left  upon 
Willard  Richards ;  but  God  qualified  him  for  the  task,  and  his 
wise  counsel  to  the  Saints  proved  him  to  be  a  man  of  strength 
and  inspiration.  His  letters  of  advice  were  timely  and  indicated, 
under  all  these  trials,  that  he  was  possessed  of  great  self-com- 
mand and  deliberate  judgment.  He  passed  through  the  trials  of 
the  exodus  from  Nauvoo,  and  when  the  Pioneer  company  was 
made  up  in  the  spring  he  was  among  that  honored  band  to 
cross  the  great  plains  and  seek  a  home  for  the  Saints  in  the 
valleys  of  the  mountains.  During  all  these  vicissitudes  he  was 
the  Church  Historian  and  kept  an  accurate  history  of  passing 
events. 

He  returned  to  Winter  Quarters  to  assist  in  preparing  the 
Saints  for  emigration.  While  at  Winter  Quarters  he  was 
chosen  and  sustained  as  Second  Counselor  to  President  Brigham 
Young  in  the  Presidency  of  the  Church.  On  his  return  to  Salt 
Lake  valley,  he  had  charge  of  a  large  company  of  Saints  and 
reached  the  valley  in  the  fall  of  1848  with  his  charge.  He 
was  active  in  all  matters  respecting  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  Saints.  In  a  civil  capacity  he  was  secretary 
of  the  provisional  State  of  Deseret.  Subsequently  he  did  most 
of  the  work  of  secretary  of  the  Territory  of  Utah  and  presided 
over  the  legislative  council  of  Utah  for  a  number  of  years. 
For  several  years  he  was  postmaster  of  Salt  Lake  City,  in  which 
position  he  possessed  the  full  confidence  of  the  postmaster- 
general  in  matters  pertaining  to  postal  affairs  throughout  the 
inter-mountain  Territories.  Relative  to  the  gathering  of  the 
Saints,  President  Richards  was  a  faithful  worker  in  the  P.  E. 
Fund  company,  whose  officers  succeeded  in  the  emigration  of 
many  thousands.  He  was  also  the  editor  of  the  "Deseret  News," 
General  Historian  and  Church  Recorder,  and  was  emi- 
nently fitted  for  these  various  responsibilities,  for  he  was  a 
gifted  man,  though  modest  and  unassuming.  His  rare  soundness 
of  judgment  and  tenacious  memory  were  very  marked.  The 
confidence  of  the  Church  in  him  was  well  expressed  in  the 
numerous  offices  and  positions  of  responsibility  which  he  held 
at  the  time  of  his  decease.  Whether  in  ecclesiastical  or  civil 
office,  he  honored  his  calling  and  served  with  credit  to  himself 
and  all  concerned.  In  the  First  Presidency,  he  shed  rays  of 
— -9 


130  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

light  and  consolation  by  wise  counsel  and  kind  encouragement 
to  the  Saints.  His  love  of  truth  grew  and  increased  by  obe- 
dience to  the  laws  of  God  as  the  years  rolled  by.  He  was 
competent  in  several  branches  of  education,  and  indeed  was 
better  qualified  for  the  God-given  responsibilities  which  he 
carried  than  he  himself  knew.  On  great  occasions  his  choice 
attainments,  quickened  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
made  him  master  of  the  situation.  Tens  of  thousands  loved 
Apostle  Richards  and  from  his  inspired  teaching  and  counsels, 
drew  comfort  and  consolation.  He  was  reserved  in  his  manner, 
calm  and  even-tempered,  and  a  man  of  original  and  independent 
thought.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Salt  Lake  City,  March  llth, 
1854,  leaving  a  large  family,  a  host  of  friends  and  the  thousands 
of  Latter-day  Saints  to  feel  the  loss  of  his  departure.  He  was 
beloved  and  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  him,  and  passed  to  the 
great  beyond  a  witness  for  God,  with  the  full  assurance  of  a 
great  reward. 


PRESIDENT  JEDEDIAH  M.  GRANT. 

JEDEDIAJI  M.  GRANT,  son  of  Joshua  and  Thelia  Grant,  was 
born  in  Windsor,  Broome  county,  New  York,  on  February  21st, 
1816.  He  was  consequently  only  a  lad  of  fourteen  when  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  organized  in  the  neigh- 
boring town  of  Fayette.  It  should  be  remembered  that  it  was 
at  Colesville,  Broome  county,  where  the  first  miracle  in  Mormon 
history  was  performed.  It  is  not  known  whether  the  youthful 
Jedediah  came  in  contact  with  the  new  faith  at  that  time  or 
not,  but  suffice  it  to  say  that  three  years  had  not  passed  when 
the  boy  was  baptized  by  Elder  John  F.  Boynton.  When  Zion's 
Camp  was  organized,  Brother  Grant  was  enlisted  therein.  He 
displayed  great  courage  and  although  young  in  years,  showred 
himself  a  man  in  valor  and  boldness.  All  through  the  pilgrim- 
age, from  northern  Ohio  to  western  Missouri,  he  played  a  manly 
part  and  returned  with  high  honors.  This  journey  put  the 
mettle  of  every  man  to  the  test,  and  portrayed  the  goodness, 
manliness  and  valor  of  that  sturdy  band.  Men  who  could  en- 
dure cheerfully  the  ordeals  of  that  trying  journey  were  worthy 
to  be  entrusted  with  responsibilities,  and  this  indeed  they  were, 
for,  from  the  ranks  of  this  plucky  company  were  subsequently 
chosen  the  early  Twelve  Apostles  and  the  Seventies. 

One  of  the  latter  was  Jedediah  'M.  Grant,  who  was  ordained  a 
member  of  the  first  quorum  of  Seventy  under  the  hands  of 
Joseph  the  Prophet,  February  28th,  1835.  Soon  after  re- 
ceiving this  ordination,  in  company  with  Elder  Harvey  Stanley, 
Elder  Grant  performed  his  first  mission.  Having  labored  all 
summer  in  the  ministry,  he  returned  to  Kirtland  and  worked 
during  the  winter  upon  the  temple.  When  the  sacred  edifice 
was  dedicated  he  commenced  a  second  missionary  tour,  this 
time  traveling  alone.  Almost  one  year  (from  April,  1836,  to 
March,  1837)  was  spent  in  this  calling,  during  which  time  he 
was  very  successful,  baptizing  some  twenty-three  persons,  and 
organizing  a  branch  of  the  Church.  In  June  of  1837  he  set  out 
from  Kirtland,  Ohio,  on  his  first  mission  to  the  South,  a  field 


132  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

in  which  he  was  destined  to  acquire  fame  and  leave  a  name  that 
shall  live  forever.  Though  not  an  educated  man  in  the  sense  of 
school  learning,  he  was  exceptionally  bright,  quick-witted  and 
logical,  and  this,  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures, 
together  with  a  free  and  ready  delivery,  gave  him  power  with 
his  hearers  and  enabled  him  to  drive  home  his  arguments  with 
telling  force.  If  his  opponent  exhibited  the  least  weakness,  he 
saw  it  in  a  moment  and  made  the  most  of  it. 

His  style  was  poetic  as  well  as  naturally  practical,  and  he 
possessed  sufficient  fearless,  dashing,  daring  propensities  to  com- 
pletely captivate  the  chivalrous,  fiery  Southerners.  In  North 
Carolina,  to  which  State  he  had  wended  his  way,  he  met  in 
debate  a  number  of  Methodist  ministers  whom  he  completely 
routed  and  overthrew,  much  to  the  delight  of  the  Carolinians. 
Having  made  many  friends  and  some  converts,  he  returned  to 
Ohio  in  time  to  participate  in  the  general  removal  of  the  Saints 
from  Missouri.  He  performed  a  good  work,  and  in  the  exodus 
he  accompanied  his  father's  family  to  Knox  county,  Illinois. 

In  June,  1839,  Brother  Grant  started  on  his  second  mission 
to  the  Southern  States.  He  made  his  headquarters  at  Burke's 
Garden,  Tazewell  county,  Virginia,  where  a  branch  numbering 
some  sixty  members  soon  sprang  into  existence.  Among  the 
many  friends  that  he  made  at  that  place  was  Col.  Peter  Litz,  a 
man  of  considerable  wrealth  and  influence,  who  freely  permitted 
him  to  hold  meetings  at  his  house.  Many  are  the  interesting 
anecdotes  related  of  Jedediah,  whose  fearless  advocacy  of  truth 
and  righteousness  and  equally  daring  denunciation  of  falsehood 
and  wrong,  with  his  ready  speech,  quick  wit,  incisive  logic  and 
adroit  handling  of  his  subjects?  gained  him  many  friends  and 
admirers,  made  many  converts  to  his  cause  and  set  the  whole 
country  region  thereabout  in  a  quandary. 

The  late  Elder  T.  B.  Lewis,  who  many  years  later  traveled  as 
a  missionary  through  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  brought 
home  several  good  stories  told  of  him  by  old-time  residents  of 
that  region.  One  of  these  is  given  entire,  as  follows :  "In  the 
early  part  of  Elder  Grant's  ministry  in  that  country  he  gained 
quite  a  reputation;  as  a  ready  speaker,  frequently  responding  to 
invitations  to  preach  from  such  subjects  or  texts  as  might  be 
selected  at  the  time  of  commencing  his  sermon  by  those  in- 
viting him.  In  time  it  became  a  matter  of  wonder  with  many 


JEDEDIAH  M.  GRANT. 


134  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

as  to  how  or  when  he  prepared  his  sermons  as  other  ministers 
did.  He  said,  'Of  course,  I  read  and  store  my  mind  with  a 
knowledge  of  Gospel  truths,  but  I  never  study  up  a  sermon.' 
Well,  they  did  not  believe  he  told  the  truth,  for  they  thought 
it  was  impossible  for  a  man  to  preach  such  sermons  without 
careful  preparation.  So  in  order  to  prove  it,  a  number  of 
persons  decided  to  put  him  to  the  test,  and  asked  him  if  he 
would  preach  at  a  certain  time  and  place  from  a  text  selected 
by  them.  They  proposed  to  give  him  his  text  upon  his  arrival  at 
the  place  of  meeting,  thus  giving  him  no  time  to  prepare.  To 
gratify  them  he  consented.  The  place  selected  was  Jefferson- 
ville,  the  county  seat  of  Tazewell  county,  at  that  time  the  home 
of  the  late  John  B.  Floyd,  subsequently  secretary  of  war,  and 
many  other  prominent  men.  The  room  chosen  was  in  a  court  house. 
At  the  hour  appointed  the  house  was  packed  to  its  utmost  ca- 
pacity. Mr.  Floyd  and  a  number  of  lawyers  and  minsters  were 
present  and  occupied  front  seats.  Elder  Grant  came  in,  walked 
to  the  stand  and  opened  the  meeting  as  usual.  At  the  close  of 
the  second  hymn,  a  clerk  appointed  for  the  occasion,  stepped 
forward  and  handed  a  paper  (the  text)  to  Elder  Grant,  who 
unfolded  it  and  found  it  to  be  a  blank.  Without  any  mark  of 
surprise,  he  held  the  paper  up  before  the  audience  and  said: 
'My  friends,  I  am  here  today  according  to  agreement,  to  preach 
from  such  a  text  as  these  gentlemen  might  select.  I  have  it  here 
in  my  hand.  I  don't  wish  you  to  become  offended  at  me,  for  I 
am  under  promise  to  preach  from  the  text  selected ;  and  if  any 
one  is  to  blame,  you  must  blame  those  who  selected  it.  I 
knew  nothing  of  what  text  they  would  choose,  but  of  all  texts, 
this  is  the  favorite  one.  You  see  the  paper  is  blank  (at  the  same 
time  holding  it  up  to  view).  You  sectarians  down  here  be- 
lieve that  out  of  nothing  God  created  all  things,  and  now  you 
wish  me  to  create  a  sermon  from  nothing.  You  sectarians 
believe  in  a  God  that  has  neither  body,  parts  nor  passions. 
Such  a  God  I  conceive  to  be  a  perfect  blank,  just  as  you  tind 
my  text  is.  You  believe  in  a  church  without  prophets,  apostles, 
evangelists,  etc. ;  such  a.  church  would  be  a  perfect  blank  as 
compared  with  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  this  agrees  with  my 
text.  You  have  located  your  heaven  beyond  the  bonds  of  time 
and  space ;  it  exists  nowhere  and  consequently  your  heaven  is 
a  blank,  like  unto  my  text."  Thus  he  went  on,  until  he  had  torn 


PRESIDENT   JEDEDIAH    M.   GRANT.  135 

to  pieces  all  the  tenets  of  faith  professed  by  his  hearers,  and 
proclaimed  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  in  great  power.  He 
wound  up  by  asking,  'Have  I  stuck  to  the  text,  and  does  it 
staisfy  you?'  As  soon  as  he  sat  down  Mr.  Floyd  jumped  up 
and  said  :  'Mr.  Grant,  if  you  are  not  a  lawyer  you  ought  to 
be  one.'  Then  turning  to  the  people  he  added,  'Gentlemen,  you 
have  listened  to  a  wonderful  discourse,  and  with  amazement. 
Now  take  a  look  at  Mr.  Grant's  clothes ;  look  at  his  coat,  his 
elbows  are  almost  out  and  his  knees  are  almost  through  his 
pants ;  let  us  take  up  a  collection.' 

"An  eminent  lawyer,  Joseph  Stras,  Esq.,  still  living  in  Jeffer- 
son ville,  arose  and  said,  'I  am  good  for  one  sleeve  in  a  coat  and 
one  leg  in  a  pair  of  pants  for  Mr.  Grant.'  They  then  called 
upon  the  presiding  elder  of  the  Methodist  church  to  pass  the 
hat.  This  worthy  divine  refused,  but  being  pressed  on  all  sides 
to  do  so,  he  finally  consented  with  a  degree  of  reluctancy,  and 
the  result  of  the  collection  was  sufficient  to  furnish  a  fine  suit 
of  clothes,  a  horse,  saddle  and  bridle  for  Brother  Grant,  and  no 
one  of  the  donors  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  though  some  joined  afterward. 

Elder  Lewis  also  related  another  interesting  anecdote  in 
which  Elder  Grant  had  been  challenged  to  a  debate  by  a  learned 
divine  named  Baldwin.  When  the  preliminaries  had  been  ar- 
ranged, Brother  Grant  turned  to  the  Reverend  and  said,  "Mr. 
Baldwin,  before  we  proceed  any  further  may  I  ask  you  a  ques- 
tion?" "Certainly,"  replied  Mr.  Baldwin.  "Who  stands  at  the 
head  of  your  church  in  Southwest  Virginia?"  "I  do,  sir,  I 
do,"  quickly  and  austerely  ejaculated  Mr.  Baldwin.  "All  right," 
said  Elder  Grant,  "I  wanted  to  know  that  I  had  a  worthy  foe." 
A  titter  was  heard  among  the  audience,  when  Mr.  Baldwin, 
being  somewhat  confused,  rushed  into  the  trap  set  for  him. 
"Mr.  Grant,"  said  he,  "I  would  like  to  know  who  stands  at  the 
head  of  your  Church  in  Southwest  Virginia?"  "Jesus  Christ, 
sir,"  was  the  prompt  reply,  which  had  the  effect  of  a  lyddite 
bomb  in  scattering  the  preconceived  ideas  of  the  Reverend  gen- 
tleman. Brother  Grant  hung  on  to  this  weakness,  and  pounded 
away  at  it  from  start  to  finish  until  his  opponent  was  completely 
crushed. 

Many  other  incidents  of  this  character  might  be  related. 
Upon  one  occasion  in  Surrey  county,  North  Carolina,  he  met, 


136  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

single-handed,  seven  Methodist  divines  and  proved  the  victor. 
From  June,  1843,  to  March,  1844,  he  presided  over  the  Saints 
in  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  July  2d,  1844,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Van  Dyke,  Bishop  Newel  K.  Whitney  performing  the  cere- 
mony. He  returned  to  Nauvoo  in  May,  1845,  and  on  the  4th  of 
December  of  that  year,  he  was  set  apart  as  one  of  the  first 
Seven  Presidents  of  the  Seventies  under  the  hands  of  President 
Brigham  Young,  Heber  0.  Kimball,  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  others 
of  the  Apostles. 

In  the  exodus  of  the  following  February  he  was  almost  the 
first  to  cross  the  Mississippi  and  start  for  the  West.  From 
Winter  Quarters  he  went  east  on  a  short  mission,  transacting 
important  Church  business  at  Philadelphia,  and  returned  in 
June,  1847,  in  time  to  cross  the  plains  with  the  first  immigra- 
tion that  followed  the  Pioneers  to  Salt  Lake  valley.  On  the 
way  he  had  the  sad  misfortune  to  lose  his  little  daughter  and 
loving  wife. 

Brother  Grant  had  the  honor  of  being  the  first  mayor  of  Salt 
Lake  City  and  of  holding  that  office  by  successive  re-election  as 
long  as  he  lived.  When  Judges  Brocchus  and  Brandebury, 
together  with  Secretary  Harris,  abandoned  their  posts  of  ducy, 
and  returned  East  with  false  and  inflammable  reports,  Elder 
Grant  was  called  to  journey  in  their  trail  and  vindicate  'the 
cause  of  the  Saints.  He  published  letters  in  the  New  York 
"Times"  which  completely  forestalled  these  wicked  defamers 
and  thwarted  them  in  their  vile  purposes.  Returning  to  Utah 
in  1852,  he  was  for  the  second  time  elec-ied  to  the  legislature 
and  was  chosen  speaker  of  the  house  of  representatives. 

In  1854,  he  was  chosen  and  sustained  a  member  of  the  First 
Presidency,  in  which  capacity  he  consummated  the  famous 
"Reformation,"  being  the  chief  promoter  in  this  work  of  spiritual 
and  temporal  revival.  Elder  Grant  labored  so  zealously, 
arduously  and  incessantly  in  this  regard  that  he  strove  beyond 
his  physical  endurance,  impaired  his  health  and  broke  down 
his  iron  constitution.  He  died  in  the  forty-first  year  of  his  age 
on  December  1st,  1856,  a  comparatively  short  life  when  meas- 
ured by  years,  but  a  long  one  if  reckoned  by  its  many  accom- 
plishments. President  Young  remarked  that  Brother  Grant  was 
capable  of  living  as  long  in  twenty-five  years  as  most  men  live 
in  a  hundred.  Here  are  his  words  quoted  at  Brother  Grant's 


PRESIDENT  JEDEDIAH   M.   GRANT.  137 

funeral :  "Some  people  would  have  to  live  to  be  a  hundred 
years  of  age  to  be  as  ripe  in  things  of  God  as  was  Brother 
Grant,  as  was  the  spirit  which  lately  inhabited  this  deserted 
earthly  tabernacle.  There  are  but  few  that  can  ripen  for  the 
glorious  immortality  that  is  prepared  for  the  faithful,  for  re- 
ceiving all  that  was  purhcased  for  them  by  the  Son  of  God  ;  but 
very  few  can  receive  what  Brother  Grant  has  received  in  his 
life-time.  He  has  been  in  the  Church  upwards  of  twenty-three 
years,  and  was  a  man  that  would  live,  comparatively  speaking, 
a  hundred  in  that  time.  "The  storehouse  that  was  prepared  in 
him  to  receive  the  truth  was  capable  of  receiving  as  much  in 
twenty-five  years  as  most  men  could  in  one  hundred." 

President  Jedediah  M.  Grant  was  one  of  the  few  among  the 
men  who  cannot  be  forgotten.  Not  merely  loved  by  his  own 
family  and  the  limited  circle  of  personal  friends  common  to  the 
surroundings  of  almost  every  man,  but  his  life,  his  labors,  his 
character,  made  peculiarly  impressive  by  his  individuality  and 
sterling  qualities,  made  it  impossible  for  any  people,  large  or 
small,  whoever  saw  and  heard  him,  to  forget  him.  It  was  the 
fortunate  lot  of  the  writer  to  labor  as  a  missionary  in  Tazewell 
county,  Virginia,  where,  forty  years  before,  Elder  Grant  had  in- 
troduced and  preached  the  Gospel.  I  never  met  a  man  or  woman 
who  had  seen  him,  either  in  public  or  private,  who  could  not 
tell  just  about  his  height  and  build  and  movement,  and  relate 
his  conversation  with  them.  Every  man  and  woman,  not  im- 
paired mentally,  who  had  heard  him  address  a  public  congrega- 
tion, could  tell  you  his  text  and  how  he  handled  the  subject, 
could  tell  you  where  he  stood  and  the  gestures  he  made.  His 
manner  and  teachings,  inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  were  so 
simple  and  plain  that  the  most  unlearned  person  understood, 
and  the  learned  could  find  no  fault  with  what  he  said.  He 
was  so  full  of  inspiration  and  spoke  with  such  power  that 
the  rich,  the  haughty  and  the  proud  were  charmed  as  by  a 
spell.  They  had  to  listen ! 

It  is  safe  to  say,  that  if  the  testimony  and  preaching  of  any 
Elder  in  this  generation  will  leave  those  who  reject  it  absolutely 
without  excuse,  such  may  be  said  of  the  testimony  of  Jedediah 
M.  Grant.  His  garments  are  clean  from  the  blood  of  this  gen- 
eration. He  was  just  as  active  at  home  as  abroad.  He  was 
in  the  highest  counsel  here,  and  will  be  among  the  chief  coun- 
selors of  the  Holy  Priesthood  throughout  eternity. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  A.  SMITH. 

GEORGE  ALBERT  SMITH,  who  was  one  of  the  'Twelve  Apostles 
and  a  First  Counselor  to  President  Brigham  Young,  was  born 
June  26th,  1817,  in  Potsdam,  St.  Lawrence  county,  New  York. 
He  was  the  son  of  John  Smith  and  'Clarissa  Lyman  Smith. 
His  father  was  a  brother  to  Joseph  Smith,  Sr.,  the  father  of  the 
Prophet,  George  thus  being  a  'first  cousin  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith.  The  'Smith  family  was  a  fine  race  of  sturdy,  honest,  in- 
dustrious men  and  women,  typical  Americans,  who  loved  their 
native  soil  and  offered  their  lives  at  various  times  of  emergency, 
to  establish  and  perpetuate  the  principles  of  human  liberty  in 
the  United  States. 

When  George  A.  was  born  he  weighed  four  pounds ;  when  full 
grown,  about  250.  He  was  dignified  in  his  bearing,  yet  affable 
and  kind,  without  affectation,  in  all  his  deportment.  He  was 
so  conscientious  that  if  he  offended  a  little  child  he  would  ask 
forgiveness.  In  other  words,  he  possessed  what  few  men  can 
claim — the  moral  courage  to  be  humble  and  meek. 

Among  many  other  great  qualities  of  George  A.  Smith  were 
two  notable  traits  which  characterized  our  Lord  and  Savior — 
the  courage  of  a  lion  and  the  meekness  of  a  lamb.  George  A. 
dared  to  do  right,  no  matter  what  the  consequences  might  be, 
and  would  suffer  a  great  wrong  rather  than  to  do  the  least 
wrong  himself.  In  boyhood  he  was  trained  in  the  tenets  of 
the  Congregational  church  until  fifteen  years  of  age.  While 
attending  school  in  Potsdam,  a  peculiar  circumstance  occurred 
which  exhibited  his  sense  of  honor  and  his  sensitive  nature. 
He  had  grown  very  rapidly,  in  consequence  of  which  he  was 
very  awkward.  To  this  inconvenience  was  added  the  misfor- 
tune of  being  near-sighted.  The  boys  of  the  school  had  a  habit 
of  taunting  and  making  fun  of  him.  Being  wrapped  up  in  his 
studies  and  contented  with  the  company  of  the  older  and  wiser 
persons,  he  made  no  effort  to  curry  sympathy  and  favor  with 
the  boys  of  the  school.  They  continued  to  ridicule  him  until 
he  felt  thoroughly  outraged  and  determined  that  longer  for- 


GEORGE   A.  SMITU. 


140  PROPHETS    AND  PATRIARCHS. 

bearance  would  not  be  a  virtue.  He  therefore  resolved  to  resent 
this  kind  of  treatment  by  whipping  the  perpetrators.  He  had 
been  very  sick  and  was  just  recovering  when  these  resolutions 
were  firmly  established  in  his  mind  as  the  right  thing  to  do. 
He  therefore  waited  patiently  until  sufficient  strength  was 
regained,  when  he  started  in  to  thrashing  the  boys,  and  did  not 
refrain  until  he  had  soundly  whipped  every  boy  of  his  age  and 
size  in  school.  It  was  a  very  practical  lesson  for  his  school- 
mates, and  it  was  effectual,  for  they  never  made  fun  of  him 
after  that. 

In  the  winter  of  1828,  George  A.'s  father  received  a  letter 
from  the  latter's  nephew,  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  in  which  he  pre- 
dicted that  the  judgments  of  God  were  coming  upon  the  earth 
because  of  wickedness  and  abominations  which  exist  among 
the  people.  This  letter  made  a  lasting  impression  upon  the 
young  man's  mind,  and  his  father  remarked  that  "Joseph  writes 
like  a  prophet." 

In  August,  1830,  Joseph  Smith,  Sr.,  and  his  son  Don  Carlos 
paid  their  relatives  a  visit  in  Potsdam.  They  brought  with 
them  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  left  it  with  father  John  Smith, 
while  they  proceeded  to  visit  other  family  relatives.  George 
A.  and  his  mother  immediately  set  about  reading  the  strange 
book.  Neighbors  came  in  and  heard  portions  of  it.  They 
ridiculed  and  raised  objections  to  it.  These  objections  young 
George  Albert  found  himself  trying  to  answer,  and  with 
remarkable  success,  although  but  thirteen  years  old.  The  Spirit 
of  Light  rested  upon  him  to  the  discomfiture  and  defeat  of  his 
opponents.  They  would  leave  the  house  with  the  remark  to  his 
mother  that  her  boy  was  a  little  too  smart  for  them.  George 
A.  himself  thought  he  saw  objections  to  the  book.  Upon  the 
return  of  his  relatives  he  expressed  these  objections,  when  his 
Uncle  Joseph  took  them  up  one  by  one,  quoting  the  Bible  to 
show  that  such  a  work  should  come  forth ;  he  was  then  thor- 
oughly convinced  and  from  this  time  he  became  a  staunch 
advocate  and  defender  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  as  a  divine  record. 
He  was  also  convinced  that  some  authorized  system  of  religion 
was  essential  to  salvation.  Soon  after  this  he  attended  a  Con- 
gregational revival,  and  while  nearly  every  non-believer  in  the 
audience  was  converted  but  himself,  he  sat  day  after  day  in 
the  gallery  awaiting  the  sensation  of  religion.  Finally  the 


PRESIDENT   GEORGE   A.    SMITH.  141 

minister  gave  him  up  as  a  reprobate  and  sealed  him  up  to 
eternal  damnation,  saying,  "Thy  blood  be  upon  thine  own  head." 
Nine  times  he  thus  delivered  this  offensive  but  unsatisfied  seeker 
for  religion  to  the  buffetings  of  Satan  and  the  burning  of  an 
endless  hell. 

Two  years  later,  September  10th,  1832,  George  A.  Smith 
embraced  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  being  baptized  into  the  Church 
by  Elder  Joseph  H.  Wakefield.  May  1st,  1833,  he  left  with  his 
parents  for  Kirtland,  Ohio.  They  reached  their  destination 
May  25th,  and  were  warmly  received  by  the  Prophet  Joseph. 
George  A.  at  once  imbibed  the  spirit  of  the  work,  became 
deeply  interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  Church,  and  was  de- 
lighted with  his  cousin,  Joseph  the  Prophet.  This  was  their 
first  meeting.  He  was  valiant  for  the  cause  to  the  fullest 
extent.  On  hand  for  any  duty  required,  he  spent  many  nights 
guarding  his  brethren,  whose  lives  were  in  jeopardy  from  the 
violence  0f  mobs.  In  the  summer  he  was  occupied  in  quarrying 
and  hauling  rock  for  the  temple,  and  doing  other  manual  labor 
about  the  building.  George  A.  and  Harvey  Stanley  hauled  the 
first  two  loads  of  rock  from  Stanard's  quarry  to  the  temple 
ground.  He  was  one  of  that  valiant  band,  Zion's  Camp,  leav- 
ing Kirtland  for  Missouri  in  May,  1834.  The  camp  had  to 
undergo  many  hardships,  and  as  many  in  the  camp  of  Ancient 
Israel  murmured  against  the  Prophet  Moses,  so  did  some  in 
Zion's  Camp  complain  against  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 
George  A.  was  not  only  free  from  the  least  disposition  to 
murmur,  but  was  extremely  cheerful,  possessing  a  happy  vein  of 
humor.  On  one  occasion  when  sent  to  a  house  to  obtain  some 
buttermilk,  the  lady  of  the  house  gave  him  the  milk  in  a  bucket 
not  very  clean.  Some  of  the  brethren  complained  very  severely, 
when  George  A.  remarked,  laughingly,  "If  you  had  seen  the 
churn  the  buttermilk  came  from  you'd  never  mention  the 
bucket."  On  his  journey  to  and  from  Missouri  he  traveled  on 
foot  two  thousand  miles. 

March  1st,  1835,  he  was  ordained  a  Seventy  by  Joseph 
Smith,  Sr.,  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  Sidney  Rigdon,  the  latter 
being  spokesman.  George  A.  was  the  junior  member  of  the 
first  quorum  of  Seventy,  in  this  dispensation. 

June  5th,  1835,  with  his  second  cousin,  Lyman  Smith,  he 
left  for  a  mission  to  the  East.  They  journeyed  on  foot,  traveled 


142  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

without  money  and  held  about  eighty  meetings  in  Ohio,  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  York.  George  A.  returned  to  Kirtland  October 
5th,  in  1835.  He  received  his  endowments  in  the  Kirtland 
Temple  in  the  spring  of  183G,  and  soon  after  performed  a 
mission  in  Ohio,  traveling  nearly  1,200  miles  on  foot.  Early  in 
1837  he  performed  a  mission  in  Ohio  and  Virginia,  occupying 
about  one  year,  traveling  2,500  miles,  half  the  distance  on  foot. 
In  1838,  he  removed  with  his  father's  family  from  Ohio  to 
Daviess  county,  Missouri.  June  28th,  1838,  he  was  ordained  a 
High  Priest,  and  the  fall  of  the  same  year  found  him  a 
missionary  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  He  traveled  800  miles 
on  foot,  700  by  water  during  his  absence  and  accomplished  a 
good  work.  Subsequently  he  moved  into  Illinois  with  his 
father's  family  and  early  in  1839  returned  to  Far  West. 

On  the  26th  day  of  April,  1839,  Geo.  A.  Smith  was  ordained 
one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Church,  at  the  southeast 
cornerstone  of  the  temple  which,  through  persecution,,  has  not 
been  built.  On  September  21st,  1839,  he  started  on  his  mission 
to  England,  arriving  in  Liverpool  on  the  6th  of  April,  1840.  He 
was  one  of  the  best  missionaries,  always  affable  and  kind  in  his 
manner  and  perfectly  clear  in  his  testimony  and  understanding 
of  the  Gospel.  These  good  qualities  were  so  thoroughly 
quickened  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Apostle 
Smith,  that  he  won  the  love  and  respect  of  the  honest  in  heart 
wherever  he  traveled,  and  was  instrumental  in  bringing  many 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth.  He  returned  to  Nauvoo  July  5th, 
1841.  The  25th  of  the  same  month  he  received  in  marriage 
Bathsheba  W.  Bigler.  From  this  time  until  the  martyrdom  of 
the  Prophet  and  Patriarch  of  the  Church,  Elder  Smith  was 
busy  at  home  and  abroad,  building  up  the  city  and  the  temple 
and  spreading  the  Gospel  throughout  the  land.  He  preached 
in  the  principal  cities  of  Illinois  and  performed  another  faithful 
mission  in  the  Middle  and  Eastern  States. 

When  he  learned  of  the  death  of  his  cousins,  Joseph  and 
Hyrum,  he  was  engaged  as  a  missionary  in  the  State  of 
Michigan.  He  returned  at  once  to  Nauvoo  and  actively  partici- 
pated in  all  the  councils  and  deliberations  for  the  well-being  of 
the  Saints  in  those  sad  days  of  trials  and  tribulations. 

In  February,  1846,  he  crossed  the  Mississippi  river  with  his 
family,  an  exile  from  home  to  find  a  place  of  rest  and  respite 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE   A.   SMITH.  143 

from  the  furious  rage  of  religious  bigots,  who  were  mobocrats 
while  hypocritically  professing  Christianity.  The  ensuing 
winter  he  lived  at  Winter  Quarters,  where  the  people  suffered 
much  sickness.  At  this  place  his  wife  and  four  children  died. 
He  visited  all  the  camps  of  the  Saints  and  urged  the  raising 
and  use  of  potatoes  as  a  remedy  for  scurvy ;  but  little  seed  could 
be  obtained,  yet  from  that  little  a  marvelous  yield  was  the 
result.  The  next  season  in  Pottawottamie  county,  Iowa,  the 
potato  crop  was  a  failure,  and  the  saying  went  out  that  it  was 
because  Geo.  A.  Smith,  "the  Potato  Saint,"  had  gone  to  the 
mountains. 

In  1847  he  was  numbered  with  the  143  Pioneer  company  to 
Salt  Lake  valley,  arriving  in  the  valley  July  24th,  1847.  He 
walked  much  of  the  distance.  In  finding  places  for  the  location 
of  the  Saints,  Brother  George  A.  was  one  of  the  foremost  and 
best  explorers  in  the  Church.  He  built  a  house  for  his  father 
in  the  Old  Fort,  and  returned  to  Winter  Quarters  in  the  fall, 
arriving  there  October  31st,  the  same  year.  He  opened  a 
farm  near  Kanesville,  had  charge  of  the  congregating  Saints, 
and  with  the  last  company  of  them  left  with  his  family  for 
the  valley,  July  4th,  1849.  Their  teams  were  overloaded  and 
progress  was  slow.  They  met  with  hail  and  rain  storms.  Their 
stock  was  stampeded,  and  at  South  Pass  a  cold,  heavy  storm 
caused  the  death  of  seventy  animals.  They  reached  Salt  Lake 
valley  October  27th,  1849. 

Apostle  Smith  was  a  member  of  the  senate  in  the  provisional 
State  of  Deseret.  He  presented  a  bill  for  the  organization  of 
the  judiciary.  This  was  the  first  bill  presented  for  the  consid- 
eration of  the  members.  He  also  reported  a  bill  relating  to 
the  construction  of  a  railroad  across  the  continent.  In  Decem- 
ber, 1850,  he  headed  a  company  of  volunteers  to  make  explora- 
tions in  southern  Utah.  They  determined  the  location  of  Paro- 
wan  and  built  a  road  six  miles  into  the  canyon.  They  hoisted 
the  American  flag  on  a  ninety-foot  pole  on  the  town  site,  and 
dedicated  the  ground  by  prayer  and  supplication:  to  the  Lord. 
He  had  been  elected  chief  justice  of  the  provisional  State  and 
was  empowered  to  complete  the  organization  of  Iron  county. 
An  election  being  called,  two  associate  justices,  county  recorder, 
member  of  the  house  in  the  general  assembly  and  all  other  officers 
to  make  the  organization  of  the  county  complete,  were  elected. 


144  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

In  the  winter  of  1850-51  the  settlers  erected  a  fort,  in  the  en- 
closure of  which  they  built  their  homes,  house  of  worship  (the 
latter  being  used  for  all  public  meetings),  schools  and  a  watch 
tower  to  guard  against  hostile  Indians.  The  fort  was  built  of 
logs  and  shaped  like  a  Greek  cross.  It  was  used  for  fifteen 
years  and  then  replaced  by  a  suitable  stone  structure.  In  the 
winter  Brother  Smith  taught  school,  with  thirty-five  pupils. 
Around  the  camp-fire  at  night  he  gave  them  lectures  on  English 
grammar.  When  the  Territory  of  Utah  held  its  first  election, 
Geo.  A.  Smith  was  elected  a  member  of  the  council.  In  every 
place  he  honored  his  calling  and  filled  the  office  with  great 
ability.  He  was  very  efficient  as  a  peace-maker  among  the 
Indians,  protecting  the  Saints  by  wise  counsel  and  proper  pre- 
cautions from  much  trouble.  Like  President  Young,  he  felt 
it  better  to  feed  than  to  fight  the  Indians,  and  this  has  been 
a  principle  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  from  the  beginning.  In 
1852,  having  been  called  by  President  Young  to  preside  over 
the  affairs  of  the  Church  in  Utah  county,  he  left  Iron  county. 
He  traveled  much,  especially  where  he  had  immediate  over- 
sight, encouraging  the  teaints  in  all  their  labors  to  promote  the 
growth  of  the  Church  and  the  State. 

At  the  general  conference  in  1854  he  was  chosen  and  sustained 
as  Historian  and  general  Church  Recorder.  President  Willard 
Richards  was  his  predecessor  in  the  office  of  Historian  and  had 
written  on  some  blanks  he  had  prepared  to  be  filled  out,  as  if 
with  prophetic  eye,  "to  be  supplied  by  Geo.  A.  Smith."  Presi- 
dent Richards  had  well  said,  for  after  his  decease,  George  A. 
was  the  man  chosen  to  fill  this  important  position.  He  was 
well  qualified  for  this  particular  work,  for  he  was  himself 
a  fund  of  history. 

February  2d,  1855,  he  was  admitted  as  a  member  of  the  bar 
in  the  supreme  court  of  Utah  Territory,  receiving  his  certificates 
as  an  attorney,  solicitor  in  chancery  and  counselor-at-law.  He 
was  one  of  a  committee  in  convention  which  drafted  a  constitu- 
tion, was  elected  by  the  convention  with  Apostle  John  Taylor  to 
present  the  constitution  to  the  President  and  Congress,  asking 
admission  into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with  the  original 
States,  performing  his  duty  with  ability  and  devotion  as  a 
delegate.  He  also  did  good  missionary  work  in  New  York,  New 
Jersey,  Connecticut,  Pennsylvania,  Virginia,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Iowa 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  A.   SMITH.  145 

and  Missouri.  He  was  absent  about  eleven  months  and  this 
was  a  pleasant  respite  from  the  close  application  of  his  labors 
in  the  Historian's  office.  April  llth,  1866,  he  was  commissioned 
by  Gov.  Durkee  brigadier-general  and  appointed  aide-de-camp 
to  the  lieutenant-general  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion. 

At  the  October  conference  in  1868  he  was  sustained  as  First 
Counselor  to  President  Brigham  Young,  succeeding  the  late 
President  Heber  C.  Kimball.  This  great  station  he  filled  with 
w  isdom,  energy  and  efficiency  during  the  remainder  of  his  natural 
life.  With  his  file-  leader,  fellow-counselor  and  associate 
Apostles,  he  met  in  all  the  important  councils  of  the  Church, 
traveled  throughout  the  Stakes  of  Zion,  continued  as  Church 
Historian,  and  filled  places  of  responsibility  and  distinction  in 
a  civil  capacity.  October  15th,  1872,  he,  with  President  Lorenzo 
Snow  and  others,  started  on  a  mission  to  the  Holy  Land.  En 
route  they  visited  many  notable  places  and  distinguished  persons 
in  the  nations  of  Europe.  They  knelt  upon  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  where  our  Savior  once  stood,  and  where  Apostle  Hyde 
had  previously  dedicated  the  land  to  the  gathering  of  Israel. 
President  Smith  and  companions  also  dedicated  the  land  to  the 
return  and  possession  of  the  house  of  Jacob.  While  absent  he 
was  sustained  as  Trustee  in  Trust,  which  position  he  filled  until 
his  decease.  Upon  his  return  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  St. 
George,  the  chief  city  in  Southern  Utah  and  honored  with  his 
name,  giving  much  attention  to  the  building  of  the  temple.  He 
was  an  able  advocate  of  the  United  Order,  his  discourses  upon 
that  subject  being  most  impressive  and  characterizing  him 
as  an  inspired  political  and  domestic  economist.  Soon  after 
his  return  to  Salt  Lake  he  was  attacked  with  an  intense  cold, 
which  settled  upon  his  lungs  and  terminated  in  his  death  on 
September  1st,  1875. 

Geo.  A.  Smith  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen.  Few,  if  any, 
better  types  of  pure,  honest,  manhood  ever  lived.  More  than 
half  of  his  entire  life  was  spent  as  a  minister  of  life  and 
salvation  to  a  fallen  world.  In  matters  of  civil  government  his 
political  career  covered  the  entire  history  of  his  life  in  Utah. 
He  held  various  positions  of  a  civil  and  military  nature.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Utah  legislature  in  every  session  but  one 
(and  then  he  was  absent  from  the  Territory),  until  1870,  the 
last  six  years  being  president  of  the  council.  He  was  a  wise 
10 


146  PROPHETS    AND   PATRIARCHS. 

counselor,  a  great  preacher,  a  sound  statesman,  a  pioneer 
and  colonizer  of  the  highest  ability,  an  able  lawyer  and  an 
efficient  educator. 

Several  years  before  his  decease  he  had  traveled  tens  of 
thousands  of  miles  by  land  and  sea.  and  preached  over  3,800 
discourses  in>  various  portions  of  the  globe.  He  was  recognized 
as  the  father  of  the  settlements  in  Southern  Utah.  He  was 
always  ready  in  public  and  private  speaking.  No  one  ever 
wearied  of  his  preaching.  He  was  brief,  and  interspersed  his 
doctrinal  and  historical  remarks  with  anecdotes  appropriate 
and  timely  in  their  application.  Short  prayers,  short  blessings, 
short  sermons,  full  of  spirit,  were  a  happy  distinction  in  the 
ministry  of  Geo.  A.  Smith.  He  was  humble  and  meek,  yet  full 
of  courage  and  unbounded  energy  in  the  cause  of  right.  He 
always  had  time  to  notice  the  young  people  and  children  and  to 
leave  his  eternal  impress  of  love  and  kindness  upon  the  tablet 
of  their  hearts.  I  once  gave  President  Geo.  A.  Smith  a  ride  in 
a  wagon  from  Draper  to  Lehi,  and  the  tone  of  his  conversation, 
with  the  influence  which  he  diffused,  drew  me  to  him  like  a 
magnet  draws  the  needle.  I  could  never  forget  the  impressions 
of  love  and  respect  which  I  then  formed  of  him. 

President  Brigham  Young,  on  the  morning  of  President 
Smith's  decease,  said :  "I  have  known  Brother  Geo.  A.  Smith 
for  forty-two  years,  have  traveled  and  labored  in  the  ministry 
with  him  for  many  years,  and  have  believed  him  to  be  as  faithful 
a  boy  and  man  as  ever  lived ;  and,  in  my  opinion,  he  has  as  good 
a  record  on  this  and  the  other  side  of  the  veil  as  any  man. 
I  never  knew  of  his  neglecting  or  overdoing  a  duty ;  he  was 
a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  a  cabinet  of  history,  and  always 
true  to  his  friends." 


PRESIDENT  DANIEL  H.  WELLS. 

DANIEL  H.  WELLS  was  a  man  of  the  most  sterling  integrity, 
a  type  of  strong  manhood,  and  a  great  character.  He  was  the 
son  of  Daniel  and  Catherine  Chapin  Wells,  and  was  born  at 
Trenton,  Oneida  county,  New  York,  October  27th,  1814.  His 
father  was  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  a  descendant 
of  the  celebrated  Thomas  Wells,  the  fourth  governor  of  Con- 
necticut, who  was  several  times  elected  alternately  as  governor 
and  lieutenant  governor  of  that  colony.  On  his  mother's  side  he 
also  inherited  the  valiant  blood  of  patriots,  for  her  father, 
David  Chapin,  was  a  revolutionary  soldier  who  served  under 
the  immediate  command  of  Washington  during  the  greater  part, 
of  the  War  of  Independence. 

In  1826,  when  only  twelve  years  old,  his  father  died,  and  in 
1832  he,  with  his  mother,  moved  to  Ohio.  They  did  not  remain' 
there  long,  however,  for  in  the  spring  of  1833  they  went  to 
Illinois,  and  took  up  their  abode  at  Commerce,  then  a  small 
village,  but  afterwards  known  as  the  "Mormon"  city  of  Nauvoo. 
Here  Brother  Wells  was  elected  constable,  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  was  an  officer  in  the  first  militia  organization  of  that  dis- 
trict. He  early  distinguished  himself  as  a  champion  of  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  his  countrymen,  and  a  mighty  foe 
to  injustice,  fraud  and  oppression.  By  the  citizens  of  Com- 
merce and  adjacent  districts  he  was  held  in  high  esteem,  and 
frequently  acted  as  arbitrator  in  difficulties  between  neigh- 
boring families. 

"Squire  Wells,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  looked  upon 
in  that  early  day  as  a  man  of  strict  integrity,  with  a  high 
sense  of  justice  and  impartiality.  The  persecuted  Saints  wiL 
never  forget  the  kindness  and  good  will  of  "Squire  Wells,"  for 
when  they  were  fleeing  from  Missouri  (1839)  and  began  to  settle 
at  Commerce,  he  aided  in  securing  them  a  cordial  welcomo. 
He  owned,  among  many  other  pieces  of  property,  eighty  acres  of 
land  on  the  bluff.  This  he  platted  into  city  lots  and  let  the 
poor  and  oppressed  "Mormon"  refugees  have  the  ground  at 
very  low  figures  and  on  long  time  of  payment.  This  beneficent 


148  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

act  endeared  him  to  the  hearts  of  the  Saints  and  determined 
tiie  location  of  the  chief  part  of  the  city  and  of  the  Temple, 
which  was  also  built  on  land  that  had  belonged  to  him 

He  was  ever  an  earnest  friend  of  the  afflicted  Saints,  ami 
when  he  met  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  a  strong  and  lasting 
attachment  was  at  once  formed,  although  at  that  time  he  was 
not  connected  with  the  Church.  When  the  city  of  Nauvoo  was 
organized,  Damiel  H.  Wells  was  elected  alderman  and  member 
of  the  city  council,  also  a  regent  of  the  University  and  brigadier- 
general  in  the  Nauvoo  Legion.  In  all  the  affairs  of  the  city  ho 
performed  a  prominent  part,  and  supported  and  advocated  every 
measure  calculated  to  advance  the  progress  of  its  citizens. 
When  the  persecutions  of  the  Saints  reached  their  height,  th' 
"Squire"  arrayed  himself  with  those  assailed,  and  he  never  once 
flinched  from  the  conflict.  When  the  sad  news  reached  Nauvoo 
of  the  cruel  martyrdom  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  and  his  brother 
Hyrum  at  Carthage,  111.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  griev- 
ously shocked,  and  his  deepest  indignation  was  aroused.  He 
firmly  and  strenuously  protested  against  the  demand  of  the 
governor  of  the  State  to  disarm  the  Nauvoo  Legion. 

Up  to  this  time  he  had  still  not  become  affiliated  with  the 
Church,  but  when  the  exodus  commenced,  and  the  remnant  left 
in  Nauvoo  were  subject  to  the  wicked  attacks  of  the  enemy  in 
direct  violation  of  a  compact,  he  cast  his  loc  with  'die  Saints 
and  was  baptized  August  9th,  184G.  After  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  Nauvoo  battle  and  settling  his  affairs  in  Illinois, 
he  started  for  the  West  and  came  to  Utah  in  1848r  acting  as 
aide-de-camp  to  President  Brigham  Young  on  the  second  journey 
of  the  Pioneers.  Brother  Wells  took  an  active  part  in  the 
organization  of  the  provisional  State  of  Deseret,  and  was  elected 
to  tlie  first  legislative  council.  He  was  appointed  state 
attorney,  and  was  also  elected  major  general  of  the  Nauvoo 
Legion  (the  State  Militia)  by  the  general  assembly  on  May 
26th,  1849. 

Brother  Wells  was  a  general,  a  soldier  and  a  fighter  for  law 
and  justice  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  During  the  Indian 
troubles  that  arose  in  Utah  county,  he  took  the  field  in  person 
and  saved  the  Sanpete  and  Sevier  settlements  from  the  ravages 
of  the  red  men.  His  fearless  character,  cool  head,  deliberation 
and  sound  judgment  gave  him  executive  ability  which  was  no- 


DANIEL   II     WELLS. 


150  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

ticeable  wherever  he  was  known.  He  was  a  member  of  'the  legis- 
lative council  in  the  Territorial  assembly  for  many  terms,  and 
of  all  the  conventions  that  framed  constitutions  for  Utah's 
statehood,  except  the  last.  His  unusually  clear  perception  of 
legal  points  and  his  lofty  regard  for  constitutional  rights,  made 
him  an  able  and  a  wise  legislator. 

When  the  fearless,  faithful  Jedediah  Grant  succumbed  to 
the  summons  of  death,  there  was  left  a  vacancy  in  the  First 
Presidency  of  the  Church,  and  on  the  4th  of  January,  1857, 
Brother  Wells  was  chosen  Second  Counselor  to  President  Brig- 
ham  Young ;  Heber  C.  Kimball  being  First  Counselor.  He 
visited  the  Saints  throughout  the  Territory  and  gave  them 
much  wise  counsel  and  choice  admonition  concerning  their  du 
ties.  In  the  summer  of  1876  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a 
company  to  visit  and  encourage  the  new  settlers  in  Arizona. 
While  crossing  the  Colorado  river  at  Lee's  Ferry,  the  boat, 
containing  his  traveling  wagon  and  outfit,  and  a  number  of 
the  party,  was  capsized  and  thrown  into  the  rushing  and  turbu- 
lent stream.  He  was  not  counted  a  good  swimmer,  and  yet 
he  reached  the  shore  without  even  wetting  his  necktie,  while 
Bishop  Roundy,  who  was  regarded  as  an  expert  in  that  line, 
was  drowned  and  the  whole  outfit  was  swept  away  and  lost. 
Brother  Wells  always  considered  his  escape  miraculous,  for  he 
felt  as  though  unseen  hands  supported  him. 

When  President  Young  died  in  1877,  the  Twelve  Apostles 
succeeded  to  the  Presidency  and  Brother  Wells  was  appointed  a 
Counselor  to  that  quorum,  which  office  he  held  until  his  death. 
In  1864,  with  Elder  Brigham  Young,  Jr.,  he  went  on  a  mission 
to  England  and  presided  over  all  the  branches  in  Europe.  He 
returned  to  Utah  in  the  fall  of  1865,  and  in  the- following  year 
was  elected  mayor  of  Salt  Lake  City,  being  re-elected  successively 
until  1876.  The  time  when  the  suffrage  franchise  was  granted 
to  the  women  of  Utah,  this  being  the  first  opportunity  the 
gentler  sex  had  of  exercising  their  rights  as  American  voters, 
was  one  of  the  occasions  of  such  election.  In  1874,  while  in  that 
office,  trouble  occurred  at  a  general  election  held  August  3d ; 
the  mayor  endeavored  to  restore  peace,  but  was  set  upon  by  a 
mob,  brutally  struck  and  his  coat  nearly  torn  from  his  back. 
Notwithstanding  this  violent  assault,  Brother  Wells  appeared 
before  the  infuriated  mob,  and  amid  cries  of  "Shoot  him ! 


PRESIDENT   DANIEL   II.   WELLS.  151 

shoot  him  !"  he  read  the  riot  act  and  commanded  the  police  to 
disperse  the  crowd.  His  courage  and  fearlessness  prevented 
rogues  from  capturing  political  plunder  and  maintained  the 
dignity  and  serenity  of  the  municipality. 

The  clear  exhibition  of  the  character  of  the  man  is  plainly 
seen  from  his  words  in  court  when  he  said,  "It  is  interwoven  in 
my  character  never  to  betray  a  friend,  a  brother,  my  country, 
my  God,  or  my  religion,"  and  he  would  not  do  so  for  the  wealth 
of  worlds.  This  was  his  motto,  his  aim  and  his  record,  and 
when  on  March  24th,  1888,  his  spirit  left  its  mortal  environment, 
the  Saints  universally  mourned  the  lo'ss  of  a  good  and  great  man. 

Brother  Wells  was  tall,  standing  a  trifle  over  six  feet  in 
height,  was  muscular  and  angular  in  his  features  and  general 
make-up.  He  presented  a  striking  appearance,  while  his  manner 
was  unassuming.  He  was  not  gifted  as  a  public  speaker,  but 
when  one  read  what  he  said,  it  was  recognized  that  his  speech 
contained  the  choicest  gems  of  truth,  words  of  wisdom  and  the 
counsel  of  a  sound  judgment.  In  times  of  trouble  he  was  cool, 
deliberate,  full  of  moral  and  physical  courage,  and  equal  to 
every  emergency  that  confronted  him.  He  was  generous  to  all 
people.  Though  emphatic  in  his  convictions,  he  was  conserva- 
tive in  his  treatment  of  others,  being  broad-minded  and  mag- 
nanimous with  those  who  differed  in  opinion  with  him.  He 
lived  and  died  a  man  of  God,  and  will  stand  among  the  first  in 
the  courts  of  heaven. 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE  Q.  CANNON. 

President  GEORGE  Q.  CANNON  was  born  in  Liverpool,  January 
llth,  1827.  His  parents  were  natives  of  the  Isle  of  Man. 
Their  progenitors  were  traceable  as  natives  of  the  island  for 
several  centuries.  While  not  classed  with  the  wealthy  from 
a  worldly  viewpoint,  they  were  endowed  with  greater  riches — • 
honesty,  integrity  and  devotion  to  principle,  which  secured 
them  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  people  who  knew  them. 
The  possession  of  these  excellent  traits,  coupled  with  humility, 
are  important  factors  conducing  to  man's  obedience  to  the 
Gospel.  In  later  years,  when  Apostle  John  Taylor  and  his. 
associates  bore  the  Gospel  message  to  England,  the  parents  of 
George  Q.  Cannon  were  readily  found  among  those  who  knew 
the  "voice  of  the  Good  Shepherd"  and  straightway  hearkened. 

Early  in  life  George  Q.  was  a  devoted  reader  of  the  Bible, 
having  a  strong  desire  to  learn  more  than  he  could  understand 
by  a  literal  reading  of  the  Scriptures.  He  knew,  however, 
through  reading  the  Bible  and  making  comparisons  between 
its  teachings  and  that  of  modern  sectarian  churches,  that 
the  latter  were  destitute  even  of  the  true  "form  of  godliness," 
much  less  did  they  enjoy  the  gifts  and  powers  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  In  his  youth  he  yearned  to  witness  the  mighty  deeds 
performed  by  the  Savior  and  His  Apostles.  With  such  a 
preparation  of  heart,  he  readily  accepted  the  Gospel  as  re- 
vealed to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 

In  1842  the  family  started  for  Nauvoo.  On  the  way 
Brother  George  Q.'s  mother  passed  from  this  life  and  was 
buried  in  the  sea.  Two  years  later  his  father  died,  leaving  a 
family  of  orphan  children.  Leonora  Cannon,  aunt  of  George 
Q.,  had  moved  to  Canada  and  become  the  wife  of  Elder  John 
Taylor,  of  whose  family  Brother  Cannon  practically  became  a 
member  after  reaching  Nauvoo.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  Cannon 
family  there,  George  Q.  recognized  in  an  instant,  in  the  midst 
of  a  large  number  of  people,  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  Soon 
after  this  Brother  Cannon  worked  for  his  uncle,  Elder  Taylor, 
in  the  printing  establishment,  and  there  learned  the  printer's 


GEORGE  Q.  CANNON. 


154  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

trade,  with  which  he  has  had  so  much  to  do  in  later  years. 
When  the  Saints  were  exiled  from  their  beautiful  city  and 
homes  in  Illinois  in  1846,  Elder  Cannon  accompanied  the 
main  body  to  Winter  Quarters.  There  he  remained  until  the 
next  year,  when  he  wended  his  way  with  the  exiled  Saints 
across  the  dreary  plains  to  Salt  Lake  valley.  He  arrived  there 
October  3d,  1847,  and  thus  became  one  of  Utah's  earliest,  best 
and  noblest  Pioneers.  He  and  his  uncle,  John  Taylor — who 
was  the  proprietor  of  an  old-fashioned  saw  mill,  the  first  estab- 
lished in  the  valley — labored  hard  to  upbuild  the  barren  waste 
which  today  "blossoms  as  the  rose." 

George  Q.  was  physically,  mentally  and  spiritually  an  indus- 
trious young  man.  This  grand  quality,  essential  to  greatness, 
characterized  him  throughout  this  life,  and  the  record  will 
remain  to  the  end  of  time  and  throughout  eternity.  During 
the  early  settlement  of  Utah,  food  as  well  as  all  other  com- 
modities was  very  scarce.  For  weeks  at  a  time,  much  of  the 
provisions  upon  which  many  subsisted  consisted  of  thistle  roots, 
weeds  and  the  wild  sego  root.  In  all  these  trails  Elder  Cannon 
was  a  practical  participant ;  for  weeks  at  a  time  his  appetite 
was  never  satisfied. 

In  1849  George  Q.  was  called  to  go  to  California,  and  from 
there  he  went  on  a  mission  to  the  Sandwich  Islands.  When  the 
Hawaiian  mission  was  inaugurated,  it  was  not  contemplated  so 
much  to  reach  the  natives  as  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  white 
population.  The  Elders  found  the  opportunity  for  preaching 
to  the  whites  very  limited  and  most  of  them  favored  returning 
home.  Then  was  emphasized  a  most  prominent  trait  in  his 
character.  He  had  been  sent  to  declare  the  plan  of  salvation. 
The  message  was  to  all  the  world,  without  regard  to  race  or 
nationality.  The  natives,  like  the  whites,  were  in  darkness, 
and  President  Cannon  determined  that  he  would  not  return 
home,  but  remain  and  establish  the  Gospel  among  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  islands.  He  informed  his  associates  that  he  would 
stay  if  he  had  to  do  so  alone  and  labor  without  baptizing  a 
soul.  Four  Elders  remained  with  him,  and  the  result  of  their 
labors  is  well  known.  In  three  and  one-half  years  they  bap- 
tized nearly  four  thousand  persons.  Brother  Cannon  also 
translated  the  Book  of  Mormon  into  the  Hawaiian  language. 
From  that  time  a  permanent  and  prosperous  mission  has  existed 


PRESIDENT  GEORGE   Q.    CANNON.  155 

upon  the  islands,  and  thousands  of  the  natives  have  embraced 
the  Gospel. 

In  time  a  sugar  plantation  was  procured  and  has  been 
successfully  managed  by  Elders  who  have  performed  missions 
upon  those  islands.  Early  in  his  missionary  work  among  the 
natives,  President  Cannon,  in  answer  to  his  prayer  and  faithful 
desire  to  preach  the  plan  of  life  to  the  natives,  received  by  gift 
from  God  power  to  understand  what  the  natives  said  in  their 
conversation.  This  was  the  gift  of  interpretation  and  soon 
after  he  was  also  able  to  speak  the  language  with  great 
accuracy  and  fluency. 

Elder  Cannon  returned  to  California  from  the  islands  in 
1854.  For  some  time  he  assisted  Apostle  Parley  P.  Pratt  in 
the  preparation  of  Elder  Pratt's  interesting  Autobiography. 
Returning  to  his  home  in  Salt  Lake  City,  he  became  one  of 
the  presidents  of  the  thirtieth  quorum  of  Seventy.  He  was 
soon  called  on  a  second  mission  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  but 
before  the  time  of  starting,  was  appointed  to  assist  Elder 
Parley  P.  Pratt  in  the  publication  of  a  paper  in  California. 
Upon  reaching  that  state  he  was  appointed  to  preside  over 
the  missions  there  and  in  Oregon,  while  Brother  Pratt  re- 
turned to  Utah. 

Brother  Cannon  edited  the  "Western  Standard,"  which  con- 
tained some  of  his  choicest  productions  in  defense  of  the  latter- 
day  work.  He  also  printed  in  the  Hawaiian  language  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  which  he  had  translated  previously.  This 
work,  with  the  personal  supervision  of  missionary  labors,  called 
for  his  best  mental  and  physical  energies,  and  these  he  devoted 
with  cheerfulness  and  great  efficiency,  to  the  perfect  satisfaction 
of  the  general  authorities  of  the  Church.  In  those  days, 
missionary  work  in  California,  through  pulpit  and  press,  was 
attended  with  great  difficulties,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no 
one  was  better  qualified  by  humility,  faith  and  energy  for  such 
labor  than  was  Elder  George  Q.  Cannon. 

When  Johnston's  army  came  to  Utah,  President  Cannon,  in 
obedience  to  counsel,  closed  up  the  affairs  of  the  mission  and 
returned  home,  reaching  Salt  Lake  City  January  19th,  1858. 
He  was  appointed  adjutant  general  in  the  army  organized  to 
defend  the  people  against  invasion  and  served  with  ability. 

Subsequently  he  was  appointed  by  President  Young  to  take 


156  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

a  printing  apparatus,  press  and  material,  to  Fillmore  and 
publish  the  "Deseret  News."  This  labor  occupied  his  time  from 
April  to  September,  1858.  When  at  Pay  son,  returning  from 
Fillmore  to  Salt  Lake  City,  he  received  a  call  to  fill  a  mission 
to  the  Eastern  States.  The  call  came  suddenly  and  unex- 
pectedly, but  George  Q.  was  a  minute  man.  He  made  it  a 
rule  of  his  life  to  answer  promptly  every  call  of  duty,  and  on 
this  occasion,  in  less  than  one  hour  he  was  prepared  to  depart 
for  his  field  of  labor.  The  purpose  of  his  mission  was  to 
enlighten  the  public  mind  regarding  the  true  state  of  affairs 
in  Utah.  This  was  a  delicate  matter,  as  prejudice  ran  very 
high.  The  sending  of  the  army  to  Utah,  was  entirely  due  to 
the  scurrilous  falsehoods  of  a  certain  Federal  officer  and  others 
in  Utah  who  thought  to  make  capital  by  defaming  an  unpopular 
people.  Brother  Cannon  labored  with  indefatigable  zeal  and 
efficiency.  He  was  greatly  aided  in  his  efforts  by  letters  of 
introduction  from  Gen.  Thos.  L.  Kane,  of  Pennsylvania,  who 
understood  the  situation  in  Utah  and  had  been  the  undeviating 
defender  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  ever  since  their  expulsion 
from  Nauvoo.  By  the  assistance  of  these  letters,  President 
Cannon  was  enabled  to  meet  and  converse  with  members  of 
congress,  many  leading  editors,  and  other  public  and  influential 
men.  He  laid  before  them  the  true  status  of  affairs  in  Utah 
and  disabused  their  minds  of  much  prejudice.  At  the  same 
time  he  had  charge  of  the  branches  of  the  Church  in  the  East, 
and  acted  as  emigration  agent  for  the  Church.  Good  results 
followed  and  perfect  satisfaction  was  rendered  to  the  Church 
authorities. 

During  his  sojourn  in  the  East,  Elder  Cannon  was  chosen, 
October  23d,  1859,  to  be  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  a  vacancy 
having  been  occasioned  by  the  death  of  Apostle  Parley  P.  Pratt. 
He  returned  ten  months  later  and  was  ordained  to  the  Apostle- 
ship  August  26th,  1860,  being  then  thirty-three  years  of  age. 
Very  soon  after  this  he  was  called  on  a  mission  to  Great  Britain 
and  reached  Liverpool  December  21st,  1860.  Later  the 
Church  printing  office  was  established  there.  Since  that  time, 
from  that  office  have  issued  tens  of  thousands  of  copies  of 
leading  Church  works  and  pamphlets,  explanatory  and  in  de- 
fense of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  showing  the  character  of  the 
Latter-Jay  Saints. 


PRESIDENT   GEORGE   Q.    CANNON.  157 

Elder  Cannon  returned  to  America  in  May,  1862,  and  with 
the  Hon.  Wm.  H.  Hooper  repaired  'to  Washington,  D.  C.  Tney 
had  been  elected  senators  from  Utah  in  the  effort  to  secure 
admission  for  the  Territory  into  the  sisterhood  of  States.  After 
the  adjournment  of  Congress  in  July,  1862,  Brother  Cannon 
returned  to  England  and  presided  over  the  European  mission 
until  1864.  Upon  his  return  in  the  autumn  of  1864  an  Indian 
war  was  in  progress,  and  the  journey  over  the  plains  was  at- 
tended with  perils,  but  through  divine  Providence  no  disaster 
occurred.  At  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Brother  Cannon  in 
Utah  in  1864,  more  than  fourteen  years  had  been  spent  in 
missionary  labors  far  from  his  mountain  home. 

While  returning  to  his  home  and  family  was  a  source  of 
joy  to  Elder  Cannon,  he  had  no  disposition  to  lay  aside  his 
missionary  work.  The  field  at  home  was  broad  and  needed 
attention.  Thousands  of  youths  were  growing  up  in  the  valleys 
of  Utah,  and  to  their  salvation,  more  especially,  aid  he  turn  his 
attention.  In  1866,  he  commenced  the  publication  of  the 
"Juvenile  Instructor."  His  experience  as  a  writer,  his  love  for 
children  in  particular  and  mankind  as  well,  aptly  qualified  him 
to  issue  such  a  paper,  designed  to  inspire  and  promote  faith 
in  the  hearts  of  Zion's  youth.  The  magazine  is  now  (1901) 
thirty-five  years  old,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  other 
publication  in  the  shape  of  a  magazine  or  paper  has  done  so 
much  good  among  the  young  people  of  Zion.  President  Cannon, 
though  loaded  with  many  duties,  never  failed  in  devoting  time 
and  attention  to  this  publication  for  the  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  faith  and  purity  in  the  hearts  of  the  young  people. 
After  President  Cannon's  death,  the  Juvenile  Instructor  passed 
to  the  control  of  the  Deseret  Sunday  School  Union. 

In  1867,  Brother  Cannon  was  made  General  Superintendent 
of  Sunday  Schools  throughout  the  Church,  in  which  position  he 
faithfully  and  efficiently  served  until  his  death.  He  was 
greatly  interested  in  education ;  he  served  at  one  time  as 
chancellor  of  the  Deseret  University  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Church  board  of  education.  He  remarked  in  public  that  no 
labor  in  life  had  given  him  greater  satisfaction  than  the  teach- 
ing and  training  of  the  youth  in  the  paths  of  righteousness, 
and  in  all  matters  of  true  education. 

In  1867  President  Young  again  appointed  Elder  Cannon  to 


158  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

edit  the  "Dcseret  News,"  which  was  then  issued  weekly  and 
semi-weekly.  While  in  this  position  he  instituted  the  "Deseret 
Evening  News."  In  1877  he,  with  Elder  Brigham  Young,  Jr., 
again  had  charge  of  that  paper.  Brother  Cannon  was  the 
author  of  a  standard  work  on  the  life  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  also  of  many  smaller  publications.  If  all  he  has  written 
in  books,  papers,  magazines,  pamphlets,  etc.,  were  published  in 
book  form  they  would  comprise  many  volumes,  from  every  one 
of  which  could  be  learned  lessons  of  incalculable  worth  to  the 
children  of  men. 

Brother  Cannon  was  remarkably  attached  to  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  He  wrote  "The  Life  of  Nephi,"  and  in  many  of  his 
writings  can  be  discerned  the  plain  simplicity,  the  humble  faith 
and  spiritual  force  of  the  Nephite  prophets.  He  was  a  living 
evidence  of  the  truth  promulgated  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith, 
that  by  reading  the  Book  of  Mormon  we  would  get  nearer  to 
God  than  by  reading  any  other  book.  In  a  business  line,  Presi- 
dent Cannon  was  connected  with  railroads,  banks,  mercantile 
and  other  commercial  enterprises,  looking  to  the  promotion  and 
development  of  resources  in  the  inter-mountain  country.  He 
tcok  part  in  founding  Zion's  Co-operative  Mercantile  Institu- 
tion. He  was  a  director  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  and 
was  a  prominent  member  and  officer  of  the  Trans-Mississippi 
Congress.  In  his  old  age,  in  company  with  Apostle  John 
Henry  Smith  and  others  from  Utah,  he  attended  the  session  of 
that  body  held  in  Houston,  Texas,  and  afterward  visited  the 
city  of  Mexico,  in  the  Mexican  republic. 

In  1871,  he  was  again  sent  on  a  mission  to  the  East  to 
assist  in  the  correction  of  wrong  impressions,  created  in  the 
public  mind  by  wicked  and  designing  men  against  the  Latter- 
day  Saints. 

In  August,  1872,  George  Q.  Cannon  was  elected  to  Congress 
as  a  delegate  from  Utah.  In  that  position  he  served  for  ten 
years.  Although  not  entitled  to  vote  as  a  representative,  he 
exercised  a  marked  influence  among  leading  men  in  that  notable 
body.  On  account  cf  the  intense  prejudice  existing  through 
false  impression  against  Utah  and  her  people,  his  experience  in 
Congress  was  frequently  most  trying.  Notwithstanding  this, 
he  made  many  warm  friends  in  the  national  capitol,  and  accom- 
plished much  for  Utah  and  her  people.  In  1882,  when  the 


PRESIDENT   GEORGE   Q.    CANNON.  159 

Edmunds  act  came  into  operation,  Delegate  Cannon  was  ren- 
dered ineligible  to  serve  in  Congress,  the  act  barring  him 
because  he  believed  and  practiced  plural  marriage  as  a  devine 
institution.  Before  leaving,  however,  he  had  an  opportunity 
of  speaking  in  defense  of  the  people  of  Utah.  He  discharged 
this  solemn  duty  with  ability  and  courage,  to  the  perfect  satis- 
faction of  his  friends  in  Congress  and  the  people  of  Utah. 

In  August,  1877,  President  Brigham  Young  died,  and  in  his 
will  he  named  George  Q.  Cannon,  Brigham  Young,  Jr.,  and 
Albert  Carrington  as  executors.  The  administration  of  the 
estate  was  attended  with  considerable  perplexity.  Jacob  S. 
Boreman,  the  district  court  judge,  issued  an  order  increasing 
the  bonds  of  the  administrators.  As  this  act  of  the  court  was 
altogether  unjust  and  uncalled  for,  the  administrators  preferred 
an  indefinite  term  of  imprisonment  rather  than  submit  to  it. 
After  a  three  weeks'  term  in  the  penitentiary,  Chief  Justice 
Hunter,  who  had  newly  come  into  office,  set  aside  the  action  of 
Judge  Boreman  and  liberated  the  administrators.  Following 
their  liberation  President  Cannon  and  associates  proceeded  with 
their  labors  until  the  affairs  of  the  estate  were  closed. 

After  the  decease  of  President  Young,  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  Church  was  exercised  by  the  Twelve  Apostles. 
When  the  Presidency  was  again  organized  with  President  John 
Taylor  at  the  head,  he  chose  for  his  counselors  Aposrles  George 
Q.  Cannon  and  Joseph  F.  Smith,  who  were  also  chosen  by 
Presidents  Woodruff  and  Snow.  President  Cannon  was 
a  member  of  the  First  Presidency  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  being  President  Snow's  First  Counselor,  and  in  rhis 
position,  as  in  all  previous  ones,  he  manifested  humility  and 
meekness,  ever  yearning  for  the  guiding  hand  of  the  Almighty. 

In  1884,  when  the  fury  of  persecution  was  raging,  particularly 
against  plural  marriage,  it  was  thought  proper  for  leading 
men,  subject  to  these  assaults,  to  go  into  exile.  The  spirit  of 
persecution  against  the  Saints  was  exceedingly  bitter.  It 
appeared  that  the  anti-"Mormon"  element  was  determined  to 
provoke  violence  and  thus  secure  a  pretext  for  action  that 
might  result  in  scenes  similar  to  those  enacted  in  Missouri  and 
Illinois.  Much  suffering  was  endured ;  thousands  of  dollars 
of  fines  were  imposed.  Altogether  about  800  men  and  a  few 
women  were  imprisoned.  At  last  the  storm  abated  and  the 


160  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

long  suffering  of  the  Saints  was  over ;  their  prayer  was  answered 
by  the  Almighty,  and  conditions  settled  down  to  a  moderate 
enforcement  of  the  laws.  In  all  these  trials  President  Cannon 
was  a  leading  sufferer.  He  was  in  exile  and  suffered  a  four- 
months'  term  in  the  penitentiary.  But  all  this  tended  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  the  cause  and  prove  the  Saints  to  be 
superior  in  morals,  sobriety,  patience  and  faith  to  their  perse- 
cutors. Their  prison  life,  rather  than  a  stain,  was  a  credit, 
indicating  their  fidelity  to  conviction  of  right. 

President  Cannon  was  gifted  as  a  speaker  and  writer,  and  his 
practice  of  using  simple  language  and  making  his  meaning 
clear  to  all  classes,  was  worthy  the  emulation  of  all  young  men 
whose  lot  in  life  may  be  cast  in  similar  places.  Among  the 
many  noble  traits  of  character  possessed  by  this  great  man, 
there  was  none  more  conspicuous  than  one,  which  possibly, 
has  never  been  excelled  by  any  man  in  this  dispensation — 
his  profound  respect  for  the  Lord's  Anointed.  We  think 
it  can  truly  be  said,  that  no  being  ever  heard  or  could  possibly 
infer  by  word  or  act  from  President  Cannon  the  slightest  dis- 
respect for,  or  even  depreciation  of  the  abiltiy  of  his  file  leader. 
The  names  of  Joseph  Smith,  Brigham  Young,  John  Taylor, 
Wilford  Woodruff  and  Lorenzo  Snow  were  to  him  sacred,  as 
shown  by  his  life  association  with  these  men  of  God. 

The  following  character  sketch  of  President  Cannon,  pub- 
lished before  his  death,  is  from  the  pen  of  Elder  John 
Nicholson : 

"My  first  meeting  with  George  Q.  Cannon  was  in  the  city 
of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  in  1862.  On  the  invitation  of  several 
brethren  in  the  local  branch  of  the  Church,  I  accompanied  them 
in  a  friendly  call  upon  him  at  the  house  at  which  he  was 
stopping  during  a  brief  visit  to  the  Scottish  capitol.  He  was 
at  that  time  presiding  over  the  European  mission. 

"I  was  then  a  youth  of  twenty-two  years,  and  afflicted  with 
diffidence  amounting  to  embarrassment,  in  the  presence  of 
strangers,  and  therefore  on  this  occasion  confined  myself 
strictly  to  the  exercise  of  observation,  listening  to  the  con- 
versation and  replying  tersely  to  questions  directed  personally 
to  myself. 

"I  was  at  once  struck  with  the  strength  of  the  personality 
of  the  distinguished  visitor — a  handsome,  vigorous  man  of 


PRESIDENT   GEORGE   Q.    CANNON.  161 

thirty-five  years.  His  figure  of  medium  height,  well  rounded 
and  erect ;  the  shapely  head  crowned  with  a  liberal  growth 
of  black  hair ;  the  cheeks  and  upper  lip  clean  shaved  ;  the  chin 
adorned  with  a  close  hirsute  growth.  Up  to  that  time  his  was 
one  of  the  most  striking  faces  I  had  seen ;  a  forehead  broad 
and  high,  the  breadth  being  especially  observable  in  the  upper 
section ;  a  somewhat  large,  aquiline  nose,  almost  approaching  the 
Israelitish  in  contour,  well-formed  mouth,  without  rigidity  and 
with  an  expression  of  amiability.  .  The  large,  clear,  gray  eyes 
impressed  me  most.  In  the  due  course  of  conversation,  in 
which  he  took  the  lead,  the  characteristic  mobility  of  his  coun- 
tenance was  exhibited. 

"My  acquaintance  with  President  Cannon  covers  the  period 
from  1862  to  the  present.  At  times  it  has  been  close,  notably 
while  he  was  at  the  bead  of  the  Deseret  Neics  establishment 
and  editor  of  that  journal,  commencing  in  November,  1867, 
and  continuing  for  several  years.  Necessarily  I  had  oppor- 
tunities of  becoming  familiar  with  many  of  his  traits.  One  of 
these  was  his  regard  for  detail  and  appearances.  While  pre- 
siding in  Europe  he  insisted  that  the  clerks  employed  in  the 
office  at  Liverpool  should  write  with  neatness-  and  legibility. 
All  those  who  worked  under  him  in  that  capacity  became 
excellent  penmen. 

"The  importance  he  attaches  to  appearances  is  not  only 
apparent  in  his  own  unvarying  personal  neatness,  but  in  his 
requiring,  under  proper  circumstances,  the  same  condition  on 
the  part  of  others.  Hence  in  the  missionary  field  in  Europe  he 
directed  that  every  Elder  should  be  clad  in  a  full  suit  of  black, 
or  clerical  cut,  and  surmounted  by  a  tall  silk  hat.  Frequently 
when  a  group  of  missionaries  arrived  he  would  commission 
one  of  the  office  clerks  to  take  the  lot  to  a  clothing  establish- 
ment, where  they  were  thus  equipped.  Occasionally,  but  rarely, 
some  of  the  boys  from  the  far  west  objected.  One  of  these  is 
now  a  bishop  in  Idaho.  While  the  latter  labored  abroad  he  in- 
sisted on  dispensing  with  the  use  of  suspenders,  in  wearing  a 
suit  with  some  semblance  of  antiquity  and  not  of  the  regula- 
tion cut  or  color,  and  a  somewhat  unsymmetrical  article  for 
head-gear.  Brother  Cannon  sometimes  good-humoredly  re- 
ferred to  this  conventional,  but  really  estimable  individual. 

"President  Cannon  was  a  gifted  speaker.  In  his  earlier 
11 


162  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

experience  he  was  much  more  deliberate  in  utterance  than  later 
in  life.  In  this  he  showed  his  usual  fidelity  to  detail.  If  he 
happened  to  make  the  slightest  error  in  grammar,  he  would 
then  and  there  correct  himself  by  repeating  a  sentence.  This 
was  noticeable  in  the  first  discourse  I  heard  him  deliver.  It 
was  on  the  subject  of  the  necessity  of  continuous  revelation, 
which  he  explained  with  striking  clearness.  For  many  years 
he  had  ranked  among  the  foremost  public  speakers  of  the 
Nation.  Added  to  his  wide  range  of  information  and  deep  and 
sometimes  tremendous  earnestness,  he  has  been  aided  by  a  clear, 
resonant  voice.  When  warmed  to  his  theme  he  has  on  occa- 
sions reached  the  highest  flights  of  oratory,  thrilling  and  cap- 
tivating his  auditors  by  the  forcefulness  of  his  thought  and 
the  persuasiveness  of  his  address. 

"There  never  was  a  man  within  the  range  of  my  acquaintance 
who  could  so  readily  adapt  his  speech  to  convey  important 
thoughts  to  the  minds  of  little  children.  This  is  one  of  the 
rarest  of  gifts.  It  is  natural  to  him,  and  he  developed  it  to 
a  high  degree  of  excellence  by  cultivation.  Hence  his  speech 
has  a  wide  applicability,  ranging  from  the  undeveloped  children 
to  the  most  cultivated  audiences  of  mature  people.  His 
addresses  have  been  far  from  being  confined  to  theological  and 
moral  subjects,  but  have  embraced  a  wide  variety  of  themes, 
including  civil  government  and  other  matters  associated  with 
the  general  well-being  of  humanity. 

"He  is  an  intense  lover  of  little  children,  in  whom  he  takes 
a  deep  interest.  This  trait  has  always  been  manifested  in 
his  visits  to  families.  He  never  fails  to  give  a  liberal 
share  of  attention  to  the  little  ones,  with  whom  he  pleasantly 
converses.  In  this  capacity  he  has  exhibited  marked  tenacity 
of  memory  by  calling  each  child  of  a  household  by  name 
after  a  lapse  of  two  or  three  years  between  a  former  and  the 
later  visit. 

"His  love  for  and  interest  in  his  own  progeny  is  hardly  ex- 
ceeded. This  patriarchal  instinct  prompts  him  to  group  the 
members  of  his  family  and  their  branches  around  himself,  he 
being  the  center  of  the  aggregation.  The  wisdom  of  this  is  ap- 
parent. It  is  the  process  of  patriarchal  populous  expansion. 
Its  perpetuation  means  an  incalculably  wonderful  result.  So 
long  as  the  organization  and  solidification  are  preserved,  the 


PRESIDENT   GEORGE   Q.    CANNON  163 

accretion  must  necessarily  be  ceaseless.  This  practical  effect 
of  his  personality  is  but  one  of  numerous  evidences  of  the  com- 
munal tendency  of  his  thoughts  and  far-reaching  character 
of  his  ideals. 

"It  must  not  be  supposed  that  Brother  Cannon's  interest 
in  and  affection  for  children  are  merely  of  a  centralized  char- 
acter ;  on  the  contrary,  these  sentiments  are,  with  him,  decidedly 
expansive.  His  work  at  the  head  and  front  of  the  Sunday 
School  system,  now  so  conspicuous  a  feature  among  the  Latter- 
day  Saints,  place  this  beyond  question.  He  took  hold  of  this 
labor  when  the  enterprise  had  scarcely  an  existence  as  an 
organization.  Now  it  extends  to  every  settlement  where  the 
Saints  are  found  and  has  numbers  of  scattered  branches  in  the 
nations  abroad.  I  have  no  idea  that  this  beneficent  establish- 
ment has  its  equal  in  completeness  and  efficiency  in  the  world. 
The  spectacle  presented  by  the  Jubilee  celebration  held  in  the 
Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake  City,  October  8th,  1899,  was  of  such 
a  character  as  to  impress  any  intelligent  beholder  with  this 
thought.  Who  can  count  the  number  of  precious  souls  whose 
feet  have  been  directed  and  maintained  in  the  path  of  rectitude 
and  salvation  by  the  agency  of  this  great  institution?  If 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  had  performed  no  other  work  in  life 
than  that  which  he  has  accomplished  in  connection  with  the 
Sunday  School  cause,  it  would  entitle  him  to  have  his  name 
handed  down  as  a  benefactor  to  the  latest  generation.  What 
he  has  produced  under  the  blessing  of  God,  through  this  agency, 
radiates  beyond  the  limits  of  time  and  stretches  into  eternity, 
where  the  multiplication  of  its  effects  will  parallel  duration. 

"The  man  about  whom  I  write  has  been  conspicuous  for  the 
strength  of  his  personal  magnetism.  As  a  rule  he  captivates 
those  who  come  in  contact  with  him.  The  influence  of  his 
personal  atmosphere  has  not  only  been  felt  among  his  co- 
religionists, but  has  extended  to  all  classes  of  men  whom  he 
has  met  in  the  world.  I  should  say  that  he  is  a  natural 
statesman.  This  has  been  virtually  admitted  by  national 
characters  of  this  Republic  while  he  occupied  the  position  of 
delegate  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  for  the  Territory 
of  Utah,  and  since.  While  acting  in  that  capacity  he  showed 
his  usual  appreciation  of  the  necessity  for  familiarity  with 
details.  Not  only  did  he  acquaint  himself  with  the  functions 


164  PROPHETS  AND    PATRIARCHS. 

of  government  and  the  features  indicating  the  limitation  lines 
between  its  different  departments,  but  likewise  with  the  names, 
constituencies  and  some  personal  particulars  regarding  every 
member  of  each  branch  of  the  national  legislature.  He  was 
therefore  regarded  by  his  contemporaries  in  that  body  as  a 
kind  of  individual  intelligence  bureau.  When  any  one  member 
made  inquiry  of  another  about  some  particular  senator  or  mem- 
ber of  Congress,  it  was  by  no  means  unusual  for  the  gentleman 
interrogated  to  say,  'I  don't  know.  Inquire  of  Mr.  Cannon 
from  Utah.  He  seems  to  know  everybody.'  This  species  of 
information  was  doubtless  useful  to  the  gentleman  who  pos- 
sessed it.  As  a  rule,  men  are  pleased  when  they  observe 
evidence  of  being  remembered. 

"Running  through  the  career  of  this  striking  character  are 
strong  evidences  of  his  adherence  to  duty  as  he  has  understood 
it.  This  ideal  has  been  sustained  under  circumstances  that 
have  demanded,  at  the  time,  much  personal  sacrifice.  His 
responses  to  calls  made  upon  him  by  his  superiors  in  office  in 
the 'Church  of  Christ  have  been  prompt  and  unhesitating.  I 
have  found  in  my  observation  of  men  this  statement  of  Carlyle 
to  be  unqualifiedly  correct:  'Great  minds  are  respectfully 
obedient  to  all  that  is  over  them.  Only  small  souls  are 
otherwise.' 

"The  standard  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  in  relation  to 
charity  has  always  been  of  the  highest  order.  His  exatled 
ideal  in  this  respect  has  not  only  been  exhibited  in  his  public 
and  private  teachings,  but,  without  doubt,  is  personally  exem- 
plified in  his  entire  mortal  career  to  the  present.  This  eminent 
position  regarding  the  most  important  subjects  that  occupy 
human  contemplation  has  undergone  in  him  but  a  single  change 
— a  modification  in  his  views  in  relation  to  those  who  have 
flot  practically  occupied  the  same  elevated  moral  position  as 
himself. 

"Has  Brother  Cannon  exhibited  faults?  Ask  me  if  he  is 
human.  Imperfections  are  the  lot  of  humanity.  Where 
there  is  light  there  is  shadow — the  more  brilliant  the  light  the 
deeper  the  shadow  appears  by  contrast.  The  failings  of  mere 
men  of  the  world  pass  without  notice,  while  the  defects  of 
individuals  conspicuous  for  great  qualities  appear  abnormally 
large  by  immediate  contrast  with  their  opposite.  In  this  case 


PRESIDENT   GEORGE   Q.    CANNON.  165 

i  speak  not  of  imperfections.     They  should  be  buried  in  oblivion 
by  the  overwhelming  weight  of  his   virtues." 

The  death  of  President  George  Q.  Cannon,  previously  herein 
«poken  of,  occurred  at  Monterey,  California,  on  Friday,  April 
12th,  1901.  He  had  gone  there  a  few  months  previously  with 
the  hope  of  benefiting  his  health,  which  for  some  years  had 
been  far  from  good,  and  which  was  perceptibly  reducing  his 
physical  strength.  It  was  not  to  be,  however,  and  his  spirit 
was  required  in  the  higher  and  grander  sphere.  He  was 
attended  at  his  death  by  several  of  his  family  and  friends,  the 
former  bringing  the  body  back  to  this  city  for  interment.  The 
funeral  services  took  place  on  Wednesday,  April  17th,  in  the 
large  Tabernacle,  Salt  Lake  City,  where  many  thousand 
mourning  relatives  and  friends,  as  well  as  numerous  sympa- 
thizers not  of  our  faith,  were  in  attendance.  The  proceedings 
were  most  instructive  and  impressive.  The  funeral  cortege 
was  one  of  the  longest  ever  seen  in  the  Western  country,  and 
the  floral  displays  from  many  sources  were  numerous,  elaborate 
and  beautiful.  He  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Salt  Lake  City 
cemetery,  where  he  sleeps  the  sleep  of  the  just,  awaiting  the 
morning  o£  the  first  resurrection. 


PRESIDENT  JOHN  R.  WINDER. 

Those  who  begin  life  in  obscurity,  environed  by  humble  cir- 
cumstances, and  lacking  the  stimulus  of  available  opportunities, 
have  yet  the  encouragement  of  numerous  examples  of  those 
who  were  similarly  placed  and  forged  their  way  to  the  front 
by  dint  of  sterling  merit  and  unflagging  determination.  The 
world  pronounces  such  men  self-made,  and  so  indeed  they 
are  so  far  as  relates  to  temporal  things,  and  having  made 
the  best  use  of  the  means  within  their  control ;  when  to 
these  is  added  the  divine  spark  which,  being  forged,  becomes 
a  flame  that  lightens  the  possessor's  way  to  righteousness  and 
salvation,  we  then  have  one  who  is  an  example  worthy  of  all 
emulation  by  his  followers  and  one  who  is  pleasing  to  his 
Father  in  heaven.  Such  a  man  is  JOHN  REX  WINDER,  First 
Counselor  in  the  Presidency  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints. 

Brother  Winder  first  beheld  the  light  of  day  upon  this 
earth  at  Biddenden,  county  of  Kent,  England,  on  December 
llth,  1821,  and  at  once  underwent  the  ceremony  of  "sprinkling," 
in  accordance  with  the  rites  of  the  Church  of  that  nation. 
This  circumstance  goes  to  show  that  his  parents  belonged  to 
that  denomination,  from  which  several  of  our  brethren  who 
have  gained  envious  prominence  have  come,  among  them  Presi- 
dent John  Taylor.  Brother  Winder  had  the  distinction  of 
being  confirmed  in  that  Church  under  the  hands  of  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  being  at  that  time  only  fourteen  years 
old'.  As  was  also  the  case  with  many,  in  and  out  of  the 
Church  of  God,  who  arose  to  eminence,  his  educational  ad- 
vantages were  meager ;  but  what  he  learned  was  learned  well, 
as  his  whole  life  has  shown  he  has  always  done. 
At  that  time  America  was  a  far-off  land  to  him,  and  occu- 
pied but  a  small  part  of  his  thoughts;  little  did  he  imagine 
it  was  to  be  his  final  earthly  home,  where  he  was  destined  to 
mount  high  in  the  estimation  of  brethren,  whose  faith  he 
had  not  the  smallest  conception  of,  and  be  a  man  of  in- 


JOHN  R.  WINDER. 


168  PROPHETS    AND   PATRIARCHS. 

fluence  and  prominence,  respected  and  honored  by  all  kinds 
of  people.  Truly,  "God  moves  in  a  mysterious  way,  His 
wonders  to  perform." 

At  the  age  cf  about  twenty  years,  the  person  of  whom  I 
write,  decided  to  quit  his  strictly  provincial  life  and  look  to  a 
wider  and  busier  field  of  action.  With  this  object  in  view 
he  betook  himself  to  the  world's  metropolis,  London,  and 
succeeded  in  finding  a  situation  in  a  shoe  store,  which  he 
retained  for  some  time.  He  was  united  in  marriage  on 
November  24th,  1845,  to  Ellen  Walters,  and  two  years  later 
went  to  Liverpool  to  take  charge  of  a  business,  which  position 
he  held  for  six  years.  While  thus  engaged,  he  heard,  or 
read,  by  the  merest  chance,  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Even 
the  words  were  new  to  him,  but  they  had  the  effect  of  setting 
him  to  inquiring,  and  he  succeeded  in  learning  in  a  general 
way,  that  they  meant  a  new  religion,  having  at  its  head  a 
Prophet  whose  name  wos  Joseph  Smith,  and  that  members  of 
this  Church  were  then  engaged  in  holding  meetings  in  that 
very  city.  By  stealth  he  attended  one  of  these  meetings  and 
heard  Elder  Orson  Spencer  preach  on  the  first  principles  of  the 
Gospel.  This  had  the  good  effect  of  causing  young  Winder 
to  inquire  fur  then  and  investigate,  the  outcome  being  hia 
baptism  into  the  Church  on  September  20th,  1848,  by  Elder 
Thomas  D.  Brown.  His  wife  followed  soon  after,  the  ordi- 
nance of  baptism  in  her  case  being  performed  by  Elder  Orson 
Pratt,  and  in  February,  1853,  they,  with  three  living  children 
(one  other  being  dead),  set  sail  for  America,  the  ultimate  ob- 
jective point  being  Salt  Lake  City.  Smallpox  broke  out  on 
shipboard.  Brother  Winder  was  taken  with  the  disease  and 
quarantined  from  his  family,  and  altogether  their  ocean  ex- 
periences were  far  removed  from  a  pleasure  trip ;  it  was  a 
very  trying  one,  filled  with  tedious,  vexatious  incidents.  They 
finally  reached  New  Orleans,  and  from  there  found  their  way 
up  the  Mississippi  river  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  where  they  joined 
Elder  Joseph  W.  Young's  emigrant  company  and  reached  Salt 
Lake  City  October  10th,  1853. 

Brother  Winder's  history,  if  it  embraced  nothing  but  that 
portion  of  it  from  the  time  he  reached  Utah,  if  set  out  in 
detail,  would  make  a  very  large  volume,  and  of  course  there 
is  no  room  for  any  considerable  portion  of  it  here.  He 


PRESIDENT   JOHN   R.    WINDER.  169 

engaged  in  various  business  enterprises,  in  which  he  was  uni- 
formly successful.  He  became  captain  of  a  company  in  the 
Nauvoo  Legion,  and,  as  such,  was  in  Echo  Canyon  to  take 
part  in  repelling  the  unwarranted  invasion  by  Johnston's  army. 
He  also  engaged  actively  in  repressing,  by  military  means,  some 
of  the  lawlessness  and  general  depredations  of  the  Red  men, 
and  in  this  capacity  underwent  some  very  trying  experiences, 
rendering  not  only  the  people  here,  but  the  Government,  great 
and  effective  service,  for  which  he  has  never  been  paid.  He 
was  for  fourteen  years  assessor  and  collector  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  served  three  terms  in  the  city  council,  and  in  April,  1877, 
became  second  counselor  to  Presiding  Bishop  Preston,  the 
duties  of  which  position  he  discharged  with  ability  and  fidelity 
for  twenty-four  years.  On  October  17th,  1901,  upon  the 
occasion  of  the  reorganization  of  the  First  Presidency  of  the 
Church,  Brother  Winder  was  chosen  by  President  Joseph  F. 
Smith  as  his  First  Counselor,  and  the  choice  was  unanimously 
confirmed. 

In  addition  to  the  positions  herein  set  forth,  Brother  Winder 
has  held  many  others,  both  ecclesiastical  and  civil.  He  also 
is  a  prominent  factor  in  several  business  enterprises  and  is 
altogether  a  sterling,  go-a'head,  useful,  busy  citizen.  Under 
his  presidency  the  Deseret  Agricultural  and  Manufacturing 
Society  has  become  one  of  the  recognized  great  and  pros- 
perous institutions  of  our  grand  and  growing  -State.  His 
wife,  above  named,  died  November  7th,  1892 ;  he  has  had  three 
others,  only  one  of  whom,  Maria  Burnham  Winder,  is  living. 
He  has  a  numerous  posterity,  and  notwithstanding  his  four- 
score years,  is  still  active,  vivacious  and  healthy.  May  he 
long  be  with  us  in  this  sphere  of  action ! 

My  first  recollection  of  President  Winder  runs  back  to  my 
boyhood  days,  when  he  was  a  counselor  to  Bishop  Taylor,  of 
the  Fourteenth  Ward,  Salt  Lake  City,  and  the  writer  a 
member  of  the  Sunday  school  in  that  ward.  The  quick  move- 
ment of  the  body  and  the  ready  action  of  his  mind  and  speech, 
his  constant  labor  and  unexcelled  industry,  were  the  traits  of 
character  which  presented  themelves  to  me  as  the  most  con- 
spicuous elements  in  his  make-up.  These  most  excellent  quali- 
ties, controlled  and  directed  by  the  spirit  and  principles  of  the 
Gospel,  impressed  me  that  John  R.  Winder  was  one  of  the 


170  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

strong  men  of  Israel.  His  life  and  labors,  the  positions  of 
honor  and  responsibility  which  he  has  since  filled,  religiously 
and  civilly,  his  present  calling  in  standing  next  to  the  chief 
man  in  the  Church,  all  go  to  confirm  the  impressions  of  youth 
concerning  President  Winder.  His  selection  by  President 
Smith  to  be  First  Counselor  in  the  Presidency  of  the  Church, 
proves  as  well  the  inspiration  of  the  Lord  to  President  Smith, 
as  it  is  pre-eminently  a  recognition  of  honored  age  and  the 
merits  of  a  righteous  life. 


PRESIDENT  ANTHON  H.  LUND. 

The  year  1844  is  a  marked  one  in  the  history  of  the  Latter- 
day  Saints,  for  it  witnessed  the  martyrdom  of  its  faithful 
seer  and  leader,  Joseph  Smith.  Just  previous  to  his  incar- 
ceration in  Carthage  jail,  and  at  the  time  when  Illinois  was 
the  scene  of  much  vile  persecution  and  wiibked  opposition 
towards  the  Saints,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  in  Aalborg,  Denmark,  May  loth 
of  that  year.  When  only  four  years  old  he  was  sent  to  a 
private  school,  where  he  mastered  the  first  principles  of  reading, 
writing,  arithmetic,  etc.  He  made  rapid  progress  in  the 
little  class  room,  so  that  when  he  was  seven  he  entered  the 
public  schools  of  Aalborg.  Once  in  that  school,  he  out- 
stripped his  companions,  skipped  over  the  second  grade  en- 
tirely, and  when  he  was  eleven  years  old,  he  held  first  place 
in  the  school.  Apart  from  his  regular  school  studies,  he  took 
private  lessons  in  English,  and  also  studied  German  and 
French.  In  early  life  he  had  an  unusual  desire  to  study  the 
good  old  Bible,  and  whenever  he  could  avail  himself  (which 
was  infrequent  in  that  land  in  his  day),  he  might  have  been 
found  perusing  the  book,  pondering  over  it,  and  reading  with 
interest  and  pleasure  the  thrilling  story  of  ancient  Israel  and 
its  wanderings  in  the  wilderness. 

Elder  Lund  says  he  cannot  call  to  mind  a  moment  in  his 
whole  life,  when  he  was  not  thorough^  convinced  of  the  truth 
of  the  Gospel.  It  was  no  easy  thing  for  him  to  step  out  and 
obey  it  when  it  came,  for  in  doing  so  he  had  to  face  a  frowning 
world  and  give  up  the  sweet  society  of  his  associates  and  com- 
panions, but  on  the  anniversary  of  his  birthday,  in  1856,  he 
entered  the  waters  of  baptism,  being  just  twelve  years  of  age. 
When  only  thirteen  he  began  to  preach  the  Gcspel,  and  like 
his  Lord  and  Master  Jesus,  enjoyed  such  divine  inspiration  as 
to  enable  him  to  confound  the  learned  doctors  of  divinity  who 
sought  to  entrap  him  in  his  words.  He  labored  incessantly 
for  the  spread  of  truth  in  his  native  land,  for  something  like 


172  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

five  years,  at  which  time  (then  eighteen  years  old)  he  em- 
barked on  board  the  ship  Benjamin  Franklin  for  America. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  Utah  he  located  in  Sanpete  valley,  where 
he  has  been  a  solid,  useful  counselor  in  all  the  material  and 
spiritual  interests  of  the  Church.  He  learned  telegraphy  and 
worked  at  that  employment  for  a  number  of  years.  He  has 
also  been  successful  in  the  mercantile  business ;  in  fact,  what- 
ever Apostle  Lund  has  undertaken,  has  been  well  done, 
efficiency  and  skill  characterizing  all  his  efforts.  He 
has  performed  several  missions  in  Europe,  notably  in  his 
native  land ;  but  whether  among  English-speaking  peo- 
ple or  those  of  a  foreign  tongue,  the  personality  of 
Brother  Lund  'is  deeply  impressed  upon  all.  His  latest 
mission  to  Europe  was  as  President  of  that  mission.  He  ac- 
complished a  good  work,  and  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that 
no  man  has  presided  over  the  European  mission  who  has  re- 
ceived the  love  and  esteem  of  the  Mission  Elders  and  Saints 
more  than  Apostle  Lund.  From  an  educational  standpoint,  it 
is  safe  to  say  that  Brother  Lund  has  no  superiors  in  the  quorum 
of  the  Twelve.  He  has  always  been  very  studious,  and  upon 
a  great  variety  of  subjects  has  a  large  fund  of  information. 
To  know  him  is  to  love  him.  Well  informed  and  ready  in 
conversation,  kind  and  congenial  to  all  he  meets,  dignified  in  his 
bearing,  honest  and  impartial,  he  lives  forever  in  the  hearts 
of  those  who  know  him.  Besides  his  numerous  good  qualities 
of  heart  and  brain,  which  make  him  a  great  and  successful 
missionary,  he  has  an  additional  advantage,  possessed  by 
no  other  man  in  the  Apostleship,  of  speaking  some  six  different 
languages — English,  Danish,  Swedish,  Norwegian,  French  and 
German;  he  has  also  a  slight  understanding  of  Spanish  and 
Italian,  and  with  his  aptitude  for  language,  Elder  Lund,  not- 
withstanding his  age,  quickened  by  the  inspiration  of  the  Lord, 
which  is  ever  present  with  him,  could  readily  master  any  lan- 
guage spoken  upon  the  earth. 

When  the  Manti  Temple  was  opened  for  ordination,  he  was 
chosen  to  aid  President  Daniel  H.  Wells  in  conducting  the 
ordinaces  thereof.  His  fitness  for  that  sacred  work  was 
greatly  enhanced  in  that  temple  district  because  so  many  of 
his  nationality  reside  in  the  vicinity  of  Manti.  Upon  the 
decease  of  President  Wells,  Elder  Lund  was  chosen  to  preside 


ANTHON  H.   LUND. 


174  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

over  the  Temple  and  conduct  service  therein.  His  genial, 
kind  disposition  and  constant  patience  endeared  him  to  all  who 
visited  or  labored  there  during  his  administration.  While 
acting  as  president  of  the  Temple,  one  of  his  associates  therein 
— Brother  Thompson — prophesied  that  Elder  Lund  would  be- 
come cne  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  This  prediction  soon  came 
to  pass,  for  he  was  called  with  Marriner  W.  Merrill  and 
Abraham  H.  Cannon  in  October,  1889.  Soon  after  he  was 
chosen  to  this  high  calling,  he  was  released  from  his  temple 
work  and  sent  to  preside  over  the  European  mission. 

In  the  fall  of  1891,  when  the  colonizing  and  farther  ex- 
tension of  the  Palestine  mission  was  under  consideration  in 
council  of  the  Presidency  and  'Twelve,  it  was  revealed  to 
the  writer  that  "Anthon  H.  Lund  is  the  man  to  go  to  Pales- 
tine," although  another  had  been  partially  decided  upon,  and 
my  impression  was  not  stated  in  the  council.  However, 
Brother  Lund  was  subsequently  chosen.  He  filled  the  mission 
with  great  efficiency,  accompanied  by  Elder  F.  F.  Hintze. 
Upon  Apostle  Lund's  return  from  Jerusalem,  the  minute  de- 
tails of  his  report,  entering  into  every  phase  of  the  question, 
proved  beyond  question  or  controversy  that  he  was  the  right 
man  for  the  work.  Viewing  the  subject  from  a  natural  stand- 
point, based  upon  the  comparative  abilities  of  men,  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  any  other  man  among  the  Apostles  could  have  done  as 
well  as  President  Lund.  He  is  thorough  in  all  his  researches, 
investigations  and  observations,  so  that  when  he  makes  a 
report  of  his  surroundings  it  can  be  relied  upon  as  being 
complete.  In  council  he  is  slow  to  speak,  naturally  modest 
and  timid  in  the  midst  of  his  brethren,  but  when  he  does  make 
suggestions,  they  are  invariably  such  as  have  not  been  pre- 
sented. This  makes  him  a  valuable  counselor  and  proves  his 
inspirations. 

Apostle  Lund  is  not  merely  a  thought-gatherer,  but  a  thinker. 
He  has  recently  prepared  a  new  edition  of  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants  in  the  Danish  language,  and  for  some  time  has  oc- 
cupied the  responsible  station  of  General  Church  Historian 
and  Recorder,  being  the  most  suitable  man  to  succeed  Presi- 
dent Franklin  D.  Richards.  In  this  capacity  Brother  Lund 
has  proven  himself  to  be  a  most  competent  man. 

From  the  Scandinavian  countries,  wherein  so  much  of  Israel's 


PRESIDENT   ANTHON    H.    LUND.  175 

faithful  seed  abounds,  have  come  to  the  Church  of  Christ  in 
the  last  days  thousands  of  noble  converts,  better  than  whom  no 
country  on  the  globe  has  produced.  They  are  steady,  sober, 
industrious,  abounding  in  faith  and  good  works ;  they  have 
furnished  people  who  have  colonized  the  hills  and  mountains 
where  other  nationalities  would  shrink  from  going.  They  are 
among  the  leaders  of  the  people  throughout  the  wards  and 
stakes  of  Ziou.  Their  sons  are  found  among  the  brightest  and 
best  missionaries  that  have  been  sent  to  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  From  among  the  thousands  of  this  great  race,  Anthon 
H.  Lund  has  been  chosen  to  bear  the  holy  Apostleship  and  the 
office  of  President's  Counselor.  He  is  not  only  an  Apostle  to 
his  countrymen,  like  Paul  to  the  Gentiles,  but  is  of  corre- 
sponding value  to  the  Saints  of  God  from  every  land  and 
clime.  Public  speaking  is  a  source  of  embarrassment  to 
President  Lund,  and  instinctively  he  thinks  others  better  quali- 
fied than*  himself.  No  better  example  of  genuine  worth,  free 
from  self-conceit  can  be  found  than  in  Brother  Lund.  He  is 
true  to  the  admonition  of  Paul,  "preferring  his  brethren  before 
himself."  Useful  in  the  past  from  early  boyhood,  before  him 
lies  the  record  of  a  long  life  of  useful  labors  all  directed  to 
the  salvation  of  his  fellow  man. 

Brother  J.  M.  Sjodahl  makes  the  following  timely  and 
truthful  remark :  "A  striking  feature  of  Brother  Lund's  char- 
acter is  his  tendency  to  religious  thought  and  meditation,  which 
almost  reminds  one  of  the  Pietistic  school,  which,  during  the 
last  century,  had  so  much  influence  upon  Lutheran  Protestant- 
ism; it  should  be  added,  though,  that  his  practical  training 
during  a  life  rich  in  experiences  has  preserved  him  from  the 
errors  of  mysticism,  which  under  different  circumstances  might 
have  been  difficult  to  avoid.  In  his  public  speaking  it  is  easy 
to  perceive  that  his  thoughts  center  round  the  great  themes  of 
the  Gospel ;  the  Redeemer,  in  His  two-fold  character  of  Priest, 
atoning  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  King,  coming  to  rule 
and  restore  all  things.  As  a  teacher  in  Israel,  he  evidently 
at  all  times  endeavors  to  magnify  his  calling  of  an  Apostle 
and  witness  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  follows  that  in 
the  daily  events  of  life  he  readily  acknowledges  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  in  all  things.  Through  a  varied  experience  he 
has  obtained  a  firm  faith  in  the  promises  of  God  to  hear  and  to 


176  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

answer  prayers,  and  this  is  a  source  of  strength  to  him  which 
never  fails. 

"It  is  no  wonder  that  Brother  Lund  is  much  respected  and 
loved  by  all  who  know  him,  or  that  the  feelings  of  regard  grow 
stronger  as  the  acquaintance  with  him  becomes  more  intimate. 
Few  men  go  through  life  without  enemies,  but  Brother  Lund 
appears  to  be  one  of  the  few.  •  He  is  very  much  like  the  late 
President  Wilford  Woodruff  in  this  respect,  of  whom  it  was 
said  that  even  his  antagonists  loved  him.  The  regard  in 
which  he  is  held  by  his  associates  in  the  Council  of  Apostleship 
was  very  well  expressed  by  Elder  Heber  J.  Grant  when,  in  a 
meeting  of  Scandinavian  Saints  in  this  city,  not  long  ago,  he 
said :  'Erastus  Snow  was  my  ideal  of  an  Apostle  of  the  Lord, 
and  Brother  Snow's  mantle  has,  in  my  opinion,  fallen  upon 
Elder  Anthon  H.  Lund.'  " 

It  would  be  impossible,  even  in  a  lengthy  treatise,  to  give  a 
more  striking  tribute  to  the  genuine  worth  of  the  successor  of 
him  who  has  been  called  the  Apostle  of  Scandinavia. 

The  reorganization  of  the  First  Presidency,  consequent  upon 
the  death  of  President  Snow,  October  7th,  1901,  resulted  in 
the  choice  of  Apostle  Lund  as  President  Smith's  Second  Coun- 
eslor.  In  this  position  he  will  be  found  as  he  has  been  in  all 
others,  a  faithful  and  zealous,  but  yet  humble,  follower  of  the 
Lord. 


APOSTLE  DAVID  W.  PATTEN. 

DAVID  W.  PATTEN,  a  great  and  good  man,  and  Apostle  of  the 
Lord,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New  York,  in  the  year  1800. 
His  parents  were  farmers,  and  earned  their  livelihood  from 
the  products  of  the  soil.  David  was  industrious  and  ener- 
getic, possessed  of  a  strong,  healthy  body  and  a  bright,  active 
mind.  Early  in  life  he  manifested  a  great  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  and  was  endowed  with  such  faith  in  God  that 
lie  was  the  recipient  of  dreams  and  visions  from  the  Lord. 
When  twenty-one  years  old  he  testified'  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
commanded  him  to  repent  of  his  sins.  He  did  so,  and  during 
the  years  following,  several  future  events  were  revealed  to  him 
in  dreams  and  visions.  He  looked  for  the  restoration  of  the 
Gospel  in  its  ancient  purity,  completeness  and  power,  and  felt 
that  he  would  live  to  see  it.  In  1830,  he  first  saw  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  Being  impressed  with  its  truth,  he  cried  unto  God 
for  more  faith.  His  brother,  John  Patten,  received  the  Gospel 
previous  to  May,  1832,  and  in  that  month  wrote  to  his  brother, 
David,  of  the  rise  of  the  Church  in  the  last  days;  the  restora- 
tion of  spiritual  gifts,  etc.  David  was  convinced  that  God  had 
revealed  Himself,  and  on  June  15th,  1832,  was  baptized  by  his 
brother  John,  in  Green  county,  Indiana.  On  the  17th  of  the 
same  month  he  was  ordained  an  Elder  by  Elisha  Groves,  and 
seoit  on  a  mission  with  a  Brother  Wood  to  Michigan.  He  was 
mighty  in  faith.  Many  remarkable  cases  of  healing  occurred 
during  this  mission.  In  many  instances,  when  the  sick  said 
they  had  faith  to  be  healed,  and  promised  to  obey  the  Gospel, 
he  would  command  them  to  arise  and  walk,  and  they  did  so, 
being  instantly  healed  by  the  power  of  God.  On  this  brief 
mission  of  about  three  months  they  baptized  sixteen  persons. 

In  October  he  went  to  Kirtland,  where  he  spent  a  few  \veeks, 
and  then  started  on  his  second  mission,  this  time,  going  to 
Pennsylvania.  He  and  his  companions  baptized  several  on  the 
way.  To  the  sick  he  taught  faith  in  the  ordinances  of  the 
Gospel,  and  where  their  hearts  responded,  he  commanded  them 

12 


178  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

in  the  name  of  the  Lord  to  be  healed,  and  it  was  done.  Many 
people  came  long  distances,  having  faith  to  be  healed,  and 
their  prayers  were  answered.  One  woman,  who  had  been 
afflicted  for  nearly  twenty  years,  was  instantly  healed.  He 
returned  to  Kirtland  February  25th,  1833.  The  next  month 
he  was  sent,  with  other  Elders,  on  a  mission  to  preach  the 
Gospel  and  advise  the  Saints  to  gather  at  Kirtland.  He 
traveled  with  R.  Cahoon.  At  Father  Bosley's,  in  Avon,  they 
preached  to  the  people.  Their  meeting  was  disturbed  by  a 
boisterous  man,  who  defied  any  one  to  eject  him  from  the 
meeting.  Brother  Patten,  being  aroused  with  righteous  in- 
dignation, told  him  to  be  quiet  or  he  would  put  him  out.  The 
fellow  said,  "You  can't  do  it!"  Brother  Patten  promptly 
answered,  "In  the  name  of  the  Lord,  I  will  do  it!"  He  seized 
the  disturber,  carried  him  to  the  door,  and  pitched  him  onto  a 
woodpile.  The  saying  went  out  that  Patten  had  cast  out  one 
devil,  soul  and  body. 

They  met  with  much  opposition  and  persecution  in  Orleans, 
Jefferson  county,  New  York.  Notwithstanding  this,  they 
raised  up  a  branch  of  eighteen  members.  In  Henderson,  Elder 
Patten  baptized  eight  persons.  When  the  Elders  confirmed 
them,  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  them,  and  they  spoke  with 
tongues,  and  prophesied.  He  organized  several  branches  dur- 
ing the  summer,  numbering  eighty  members  in  all.  Of  the 
power,  of  God,  manifested  throug'h  Elder  Patten's  labors,  he 
writes:  "The  Lord  did  work  with  me  wonderfully,  in  signs 
and  wonders  following  them  that  believed  in  the  fullness  of 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ;  insomuch  that  the  deaf  were  made 
to  hear,  the  blind  to  see,  and  the  lame  were  made  whole. 
Fevers,  palsies,  crooked  and  withered  limbs,  and!,  in  fact,  all 
manner  of  diseases  common  to  the  country,  were  healed  by 
the  power  of  God  that  was  manifest  throug'h  His  servants." 
Elder  Patten  returned  to  Kirtland  in  the  fall  of  1833,  worked 
one  month  on  the  Temple,  and  then  went  to  his  former  place 
of  residence,  in  Michigan.  From  there  he  moved  to  Florence, 
Ohio.  He  was  sick  for  some  time,  but  being  full  of  desire  to 
la'bor  for  the  salvation  of  his  feilow-beings,  he  consecrated 
himself  to  the  Lord,  and  began  a  preaching  tour.  One  day 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  said  to  him,  "Depart  from  your  field  of 
labor,  and  go  unto  Kirtland;  for  behold,  I  will  send  thee  up 


APOSTLE   DAVID  W.   PATTEN.  179 

to  the  laud  of  Zion,  and  thou  s'halt  serve  thy  brethren  there." 
He  obeyed,  and  was  immediately  sent  south,  with  William  D. 
Pratt,  to  convey  messages  to  the  Saints  in  Missouri.  They 
arrived  in  Clay  county,  March  4th,  1834,  after  a  journey  that 
was  very  trying  from  cold  and  fatigue.  He  remained  in  Mis- 
souri until  the  arrival  of  Zion's  Camp.  During  these  troubles, 
a  bitter  enemy  approached  Brother  Patten,  and  said,  with  a 

drawn  bowie  knife  in  his  hand,  "You  d Mormon,  I  will  cut 

your  d throat."      Elder  Patten  looked  him  squarely  in  the 

face,  and,  putting  his  hand  in  his  left  breast  pocket,  said,  "My 
friend,  do  nothing  rashly."  Brother  Patten  was  unarmed,  but 
the  mobocrat  was  seized  with  fear,  and  turned  away,  saying, 
"For  God's  sake,  don't  shoot!" 

On  Sept.  12th,  1834,  Elders  Patten  and  Warren  Parrish 
started  on  a  mission  to  Tennessee.  In  Henry  county  they 
labored  about  three  months,  baptizing  twenty  persons.  The 
sick  were  healed  in  a  remarkable  way.  One  instance  of  im- 
portance was  the  case  of  Johnston  F.  Lane's  wife,  who  had 
been  sack  for  eight  years.  Learning  of  the  Elders,  and  the 
faith  they  taught,  they  were  sent  for.  Brother  Patten 
preached  to  Mr.  Lane  and  his  family,  saying  that  the  power 
to  be  healed  was  given  to  those  who  had  faith  to  receive  it. 
Mrs.  Lane  believed,  and  Brother  Patten  laid  his  hands  upon 
her,  saying,  "In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  I  rebuke  the  dis- 
order and  command  it  to  depart."  He  also  commanded  her, 
-in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  arise,  go  forth,  and  be  baptized, 
which  she  did  the  same  hour.  After  baptism  and  confirma- 
tion, he  told  her  she  should  gain  in  strength,  and  in  less  than  a 
year  become  the  mother  of  a  son.  She  had  been  married 
twelve  years,  and  yet  had  no  children.  Nevertheless,  this 
prophecy  was  fulfilled,  for  within  a  year  she  bore  a  son,  whom 
the  paremts  named*  David  Patten. 

Brother  Patten  returned  to  Kir f land  in  the  winter  of  "1834-5. 
On  February  15th,  1835,  he  was  ordained  one  of  the  Twelve 
Apostles,  and  was  the  President  of  that  quorum  until  his  mar- 
tyrdom, October  25th,  1838.  On  the  first  mission  of  the 
Twelve,  he  traveled  through  New  York,  Canada,  Vermont, 
Maine,  and  other  States,  setting  the  branches  in  order,  attend- 
ing conferences,  etc.  He  returned  to  Kirtland  in  September, 
1835.  Soon  after  receiving  his  endowments  in  the  Kirtland 


180  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Temple,  he  went  on  another  mission  to  Tennessee.  There  he 
found  Brother  Wilforcl  Woodruff,  on  a  mission  from  Missouri 
May  17th,  1S35,  Margaret  Little,  being  at  the  point  of  death, 
was  instantly  healed.  She  had  covenanted  to  be  baptized, 
but  after  being  restored,  she  refused.  Elder  Patten  told  her 
the  affliction  would  come  back  if  she  did  not  repent.  On  their 
return,  they  found  her  very  low.  She  begged  them  to  ad- 
minister to  her,  promising  that  she  would  obey  the  Gospel. 
She  was  again  instantly  healed,  and  this  time  received  the 
Gospel.  They  continued  their  labors  against  much  persecu- 
tion. On  one  occasion  an  armed  mob  fled  before  him,  being 
seized  with  fear,  though  he  had  nothing  but  a  walking  stick 
with  him.  A  little  later  Warren  Parrish  arrived  from  Ivirt- 
land,  and  the  threie  journeyed  together  from  town  to  town  in 
Kentucky,  preaching  the  Gospel  wherever  opportunity  afforded. 
The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  wrought  mightily  with  them,  especially 
in  healing  the  sick.  Satan  opposed  them  bitterly,  and  on  one 
occasion  a  mob  of  about  forty  men,  headed  by  a  sheriff  and  a 
Methodist  priest,  took  them  into  custody,  on  a  complaint  of 
Matthew  Williams,  who  swore  to  the  complaint  that  these 
brethren  had  prophesied  that  "Christ  would  come  the  second 
time  before  this  generation  passed  away,  and  that  four  indi- 
viduals should  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  within  twenty-four 
hours."  Upon  examination,  Elder  Patten  and  Parrish  were 
placed  under  $2,000  bonds  to  appear  for  trial  June  22d.  Early 
on  that  date  they  appeared  in  court.  The  officers  took  from 
Brother  Patten  his  walking  stick  and  penknife.  The  court 
denied  the  prisoners  the  right  to  produce  witnesses  on  their 
side.  The  trial  was  a  mockery.  They  were  prohibited  from 
saying  anything  in  their  own  defense.  Elder  Patten  bore  the 
indignities  until  forbearance  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  when  he 
arose,  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  court  and  spectators 
were  spellbound  while  he  addressed  them;  he  rebuked  the 
court  sharply  for  the  unjust  proceedings,  having  declared  them 
guilty  of  the  charge,  and  yet  there  was  nothing  conflicting  with 
any  law  of  God  or  man. 

Brother  Parrish  remarked  afterward  that  while  Elder  Pat- 
ten was  speaking,  "My  hair  stood  straight  on  my  head,  for  I 
expected  to  be  killed."  The  judge  was  astonished,  and  said, 
"You  must  be  armed  with  concealed  weapons,  or  you  would 


APOSTLE   DAVID   W.   PATTEN.  181 

not  treat  an  armed  court  as  you  'have  this."  The  Apostle  re- 
plied, "I  am  armed  with  weapons  you  know  not  of,  and  my 
weapons  are  the  Holy  Priesthood  and  the  power  of  God.  God 
is  my  friend;  He  permits  you  to  exercise  all  the  power  you 
have,  and  He  bestows  on  me  all  the  power  I  have."  The 
court  and  mob  were  defeated  in  their  purposes,  and  the  prisoners 
released.  The  sheriff  advised  the  brethren  to  leave  at  once, 
as  their  lives  were  in  imminent  danger  from  the  mob.  The 
Elders  went  to  Brother  Seth  Utley's,  but  soon  after  the  mob 
quarreled,  many  of  them  being  exasperated  because  the  breth- 
ren were  allowed  to  go.  The  mob  was  again  in  speedy  pur- 
suit. The  Elders,  learning  of  this,  mounted  their  mulos,  and 
by  a  circuitous  route  through  the  woods  reached  the  house  of 
Albci-t  Petty,  where  they  put  up  their  animals,  and  lay  down 
to  rest.  They  had  been  sleeping  but  a  short  time  when  a 
heavenly  messenger  appeared  to  Elder  Patten,  and  told  him 
thai  the  mob  would  soon  be  at  the  '.house.  He  awoke  Brother 
Parrish,  informed  him  of  the  danger,  and  they  soon  left. 
Shortly  afterward  the  mot)  reached  the  house,  surrounded  it, 
and  demanded  the  Elders.  Being  informed  they  were  not 
there,  the  house  was  searched.  The  mob  remained  until  day- 
light, when  they  tracked  the  brethren's  animals  to  the  county 
line,  and  turned  back  disappointed. 

Concluding  his  mission  in  the  South,  Elder  Patten,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife,  repaired  to  Far  West,  Missouri.  He  re- 
mained there  until  the  spring  of  1837,  when  he  traveled  and 
preached  through  the  States  until  he  came  to  Ivirtland.  It 
was  a  season  of  great  apostasy.  His  brother-in-law,  Warren 
Parrish,  had  apostatized,  and  Elder  Patten,  faithful  and  true 
himself,  experienced  great  sorrow  because  of  such  a  situation. 
He  returned  to  Missouri,  and  on  February  10th,  1838,  with 
Thomas  B.  Marsh,  was  appointed  to  preside  over  the  Church 
in  Far  West,  during  the  absence  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 
While  in  this  position  he  wrote  an  epistle,  and  delivered  his 
last  testimony  to  the  Church  and  the  world,  so  far  as  this 
mortal  life  is  concerned. 

On  October  24th,  1838,  Samuel  Bogart,  a  Methodist 
preacher,  leading  a  mob  of  seventy-five  men,  was  committing 
outrages  on  Log  creek.  They  were  destroying  property  and 
taking  prisoners.  Apostle  Patten  and  about  seventy-five 


182  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

others  went  out  to  meet  the  mob,  and  early  the  next  morning 
encountered  them  in  battle.  During  the  engagement  Elder 
Patten  was  mortally  wounded,  though  the  mobbers  were  de- 
feated. Upon  returning  to  Far  West  with  the  dead  and 
wounded,  Brother  Patten's  pain  and  suffering  became  so  in- 
tense that  he  asked  his  brethren  to  leave  him.  He  and 
Brother  Seeley,  another  of  the  wounded,  were  placed  upon  a 
litter,  and  carried  gently  by  kind  and  loving  hands.  They 
were  met  by  Presidents  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith,  Elder  H.  C. 
Kimball,  and  others.  Brother  Patten  became  so  distressed 
that  they  could  convey  him  no  further,  and  he  was  taken  to 
the  home  of  Brother  Stephen  Winchester,  about  three  miles 
from  Far  West,  where  he  expired  in  peace,  with  a  cleas1  mind 
and  a  happy  spirit,  at  10  p.  m.,  October  25th,  1S38.  Of  his 
last  moments,  President  Heber  C.  Kim'ball  wrote:  ''When 
the  shades  of  time  were  lowering,  and  eternity,  with  all  its 
realities,  was  opening  to  his  view,  he  bore  a  strong  testimony 
to  the  truth  of  the  work  of  the  Lord  and  the  religion  he  had 
espoused.  The  principles  of  the  Gospel,  which  were  so  pre- 
cious to  him  before,  were  honorably  maintained  in  nature's 
final  hour,  and  afforded  him  that  support  and  consolation  at 
the  time  of  his  departure  which  deprived  death  of  its  sting  and 
horror.  Speaking  of  those  who  had  apostatized,  he  exclaimed, 
'Oh,  that  they  were  in  my  situation!  For  I  feel  I  have  kept 
the  faith;  I  have  finished  my  course.  Henceforth  there  is 
laid  up  for  me  a  crown  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge, 
shall  give  to  me.'  Speaking  to  his  beloved  wife,  who  was 
present,  and  who  attended  him  in  his  dying  moments,  he  said, 
'Whatever  you  do  else,  do  not  deny  the  faith!'  A  few  mo- 
ments before  he  died  he  prayed  thus:  'Fatiher,  I  ask  Thee,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  Thou  wouldst  release  my  spirit 
and  receive  it  unto  Thyself.'  The  brethren  committed  him  to 
the  Lord,  and  he  quietly  breathed  his  last  without  a  struggle 
or  a  groan.  In  a  revelation  given  January  19th,  1841,  the 
Lord  said  that  He  had  received  Brother  Patten  unto  Him- 
self. "My  servant,  David  Patten,  who  is  with  Me  at  this 
time,"— D.  and  C.,  Sec.  124. 

At  the  funeral,  October  27th,  1838,  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  pointing  to  his  lifeless  body,  said:  "There  lies  a  man 
who  has  laid  down  his  life  for  his  friends."  David  W.  Patten 


APOSTLE   DAVID   W.    PATTEN.  183 

was  truly  one  of  God's  noblemen.  He  was  faithful  and  true, 
and  gave  all  that  man  could  give,  including  Ms  life,  for  the 
testimony  of  Jesus  and  the  word  of  God.  He  belongs  to  that 
honored  number  that  the  angel  said  to  John  upon  the  Isle  of 
Patmos  should  be  slain  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  before  God 
would  avenge  the  blood  of  those  whom  the  Apostle  saw  under 
the  altar.  David  W.  Patten  was  the  first  Apostolic  martyr 
of  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times,  and  will  'be  among 
the  first  fruits  of  the  resurrection  of  the  just.  Joseph,  the 
Prophet,  wrote  of  him:  "Brother  David  W.  Patten  was  a 
worthy  man,  beloved  by  all  good  men  who  knew  him.  He 
died  as  he  had  lived,  a  man  of  God,  and  strong  in  the  faith  of 
a  glorious  resurrection  in  a  world  where  mobs  will  have  no 
power  or  place." 


APOSTLE  ORSON  HYDE. 

ORSON  HYDE  was  one  of  the  first  quorum  of  Twelve  Apostles 
chosen  In  this  last  dispensation.  He  was  the  son  of  Nathan 
and  Sally  Hyde,  and  was  born  in  Oxford,  New  Haven  county, 
Connecticut,  January  3th,  1805.  Like  all  his  associates  in  the 
first  council  of  Apostles,  Orson  Hyde  and  his  progenitors  for 
several  generations  were  native-born  Americans.  The  love 
of  country  was  a  strong  element  in  their  composition,  and  this 
trait  Orson  inherited  from  his  forefathers  in  a  high  degree. 
His  father  was  a  talented  man  intellectually,  possessed  of 
keen  wit,  and  was  athletic  and  active  physically.  Nathan 
Hyde,  Orson's  father,  served  in  the  United  States  army  in 
Canada,  and  was  several  times  wounded.  He  was  on  the 
frontier  in  the  war  of  1812.  Orson's  mother  died  when  he 
was  seven  years  old.  He  and  his  eight  brothers  and  two 
sisters  became  separated  by  living  in  different  families.  Orson 
was  placed  in  the  care  of  Nathan  Wheeler,  a  gentleman  with 
whom  he  lived  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age. 

When  Orson  was  fourteen,  Mr.  Wheeler  moved  from  Derby, 
Connecticut,  to  Kirtland,  Ohio.  The  young  man  Hyde  walked 
the  entire  distance',  500  miles,  carrying  'his  knapsack.  Subse- 
quent to  his  arrival  in  Kirtland,  he  launched  out  in  the  world 
for  himself,  reliant  and  dependent  upon  the  providences  of 
the  Lord  to  rule  his  course  and  guide  his  footsteps  in  proper 
channels.  He  labored  at  various  occupations,  and  for  some 
time  served  as  a  clerk  in  the  mercantile  establishment  of 
Gilbert  &  Whitney,  in  Kirtland,  Ohio.  In  1827,  under  the 
influence  of  a  religious  revival,  he  joined  the  Methodist  church 
and  became  a  class  leader.  Realizing,  howevr,  that  the  truth 
he  had  received  was  only  fragmentary*  and  that  he  must  look 
for  something  better,  he  subsequently  embraced  the  Camp- 
bellite  persuasion,  which  taught  faith,  repentance,  and  bap- 
tism by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins;  this  being  in 
form  more  scriptural,  he  accepted  it,  as  a  step  in  advance. 
He  went  to  Mentor,  Ohio,  to  reside.  Under  the  direction  of 


ORSON  HYDE. 


186  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Sidney  Rigdon,  he  took  up  various  lines  of  study,  and  by  close 
application  of  mind,  'became  quite  proficient  in  several  branches 
of  education.  He  soon  became  a  preacher,  and  took  part  in 
organizing  branches  of  the  Camphellites.  Over  two  of  these 
branches  he  was  appointed  pastor  in  1830. 

In  the  autumn  of  that  year,  several  Elders— Oliver  Cowdery, 
Parley  P.  Pratt,  and  others — came  to  Ohio  with  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  declaring  a  new  dispensation.  This  was  the 
first  time  'Sidney  Rigdon  had  seen  the  Book,  notwithstanding 
the  oft-repeated  fallacy  that  his  learning  was  coupled  with 
Joseph  'Smith's  ingenuity  to  produce  it,  which  was  published  to 
the  world  several  months  previous  to  Sidney  Rigdon  ever  see- 
ing it  or  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  Orson  Hyde  read  a  por- 
tion of  the  new  record,  and  by  request  preached  against  it; 
but,  feeling  convinced  that  he  had  done  wrong,  he  determined 
to  say  no  more  against  it  until  he  had  investigated  thoroughly 
for  himself  with  an  unprejudiced  mind.  He  recognized  the 
great  truth  that  no  man  can  justifiably  oppose  anything  con- 
cerning which  he  knows  little  or  nothing.  "He  that  judgeth 
a  matter  before  he  heareth  it,  is  not  wise."  After  some  con- 
sideration of  the  new  message,  he  went  to  Kirtland  to  see  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  bent  on  further  investigation.  Upon 
his  arrival  there,  he  learned  that  Sidney  Rigdon  and  others  of 
his  Campbellite  associates  had  embraced  the  faith  taught  by 
the  Latter-day  Saints.  Upon  a  more  mature  investigation, 
with  a  prayerful  spirit  to  obtain  light  from  heaven,  he  became 
convinced  that  God  had  really  spoken  from  the  heavens  and 
established  the  Ghurch  of  Christ  after  the  primitive  pattern. 
He  accordingly  presented  himself  for  membership,  and  was 
baptized  October  31st,  1831,  by  Sidney  Rigdon,  and  confirmed 
the  same  day  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  He  soon  re- 
ceived strong  and  most  convincing  manifestations  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  concerning  the  truth  of  the  work,  and  began  in  earnest 
to  bear  witness  to  his  former  associates.  Shortly  afterward 
he,  with  Hyrum  Smith,  pea-formed  a  very  successful  mission 
among  the  Campbell! tes  of  Ohio.  Brother  Hyde  had  been 
ordained  a  High  Priest  in  the  Church.  They  baptized  a 
goodly  number,  organized  several  branches  of  the  Church,  and 
under  their  administration  many  sick  people  were  healed.  The 
Lord  "confirmed  their  words  with  signs  following"  in  a  re- 


APOSTLE  ORSON  HYDE.  187 

markable  manner.  In  those  days  spiritualism  and  other  coun- 
terfeits of  God's  power  were  not  extant  in  America.  They 
are  prevalent  today,  as  predicted  by  Joseph  Smith  and  the 
ancient  Prophets. 

In  the  early  days  of  Elder  Hyde's  ministry  in  the  Church, 
thousands  of  people  had  been,  by  the  operation  of  the  Spirit 
of  the  Lord  upon  their  own  hearts,  in  course  of  preparation 
to  receive  the  Gospel.  They  knew  the  voice  of  the  Good 
Shepherd  and  followed  it.  It  was  the  good  fortune,  God- 
given,  of  Elder  Hyde  to  re,ap  the  fruits  of  Gospel  seed  sown 
by  the  Almighty  in  the  hearts  of  thousand's,  who  readily  re- 
ceived that  baptism  when  the  truth  of  its  purity  was  pre- 
sented to  them.  In  the  spring  of  1832,  with  'Samuel  H.  Smith, 
he  accomplished  an  arduous  mission  in  Massachusetts,  New 
York,  Rhode  Island,  and  Maine.  They  traveled  on  foot  two 
thousand  miles,  without  purse  or  scrip,  and  rejoiced  in  being 
counted  worthy  of  so  great  an  honor. 

Early  in  1833,  Elder  Hyde,  with  Elder  Hyrum  Smith,  per 
formed  a  faithful  mission  in  Ohio  and  Pemnsylvania.  They 
baptized  many  people  in  the  course  of  a  brief  period.  Re- 
turninfg  to  Kirtland,  Elder  Hyde  and  John  Gould  were  ap- 
pointed as  message  bearers  to  the  persecuted  Saints  in  Mis- 
souri. They  traveled  on  foot  1,000  miles,  and  crossed  the 
rivers  and  large  streams  by  swimming.  Orson  was  strong 
and  active  in  body,  cheered  on  by  the  living  faith  and  a  certain 
testimony  of  the  truth.  They  frequently  walked  forty  miles 
a  day.  They  performed  their  mission  faithfully,  and  returned 
to  Kirtland  in  November  of  the  same  year.  Shortly  after 
this  Elder  Hyde,  with  Elder  Orson  Pratt,  filled  another  im- 
portant mission  in  Pennsylvania.  In  May,  1834,  he  went 
with  Zion's  Camp  to  Missouri.  On  the  way  to  their  destina- 
tion, Elder  Hyde,  with  Elder  P.  P.  Pratt,  called  on  Governor 
Daniel  Dunlin,  to  secure  his  offices  in  restoring  to  the  Saints  their 
homes  and  lands  in  Jackson  county.  This  property  they  had 
secured  legally  from  the  Government  and  by  purchase  from 
individuals.  They  had  been  driven,  without  provocation,  or 
even  the  shadow  of  law,  by  ruthless  mobs,  the  excuse  of  their 
enemies  bein'g  that  the  Saints  believed  in  revelation,  fulfillment 
of  ancient  prophecy,  spiritual  gifts  and  blessings,  and  in  the 
abolition  of  slavery.  The  Governor  gave  them  no  encourage- 


188  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

ment;  and  their  effort  to  save  the  chief  executive  of  'Missouri 
from  the  shame  of  cowardice,  because  he  feared  to  do  his  duty, 
was  comparatively  in  vain. 

Sept.  4th,  1834,  Elder  Hyde  married  Marinda  Johnson,  a 
sister  of  Lyman  E.  a,nd  Luke  S.  Johnson,  who  were  members 
of  the  'first  council  of  Apostles.  In  the  winter  of  1834,  Elder 
Hyde  was  cho'sen  to  be  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  and  or- 
dained to  that  holy  calling  February  15th,  1835.  With  his 
associates  in  ihe  Apostleship.  he  traveled  on  a  mission  through 
Vermont  and  New  Hampshire.  In  1836  he  went  on  a  mission 
to  New  York,  thence  to  Canada,  where,  wiith  Elder  Parley  P. 
Pratt,  he  raised  up  several  branches  of  the  Church.  In  1837 
he  went,  with  Elder  Kim-ball  and  others,  to  introduce  the  Gos- 
pel into  England.  The  history  of  Apostle  Hyde,  in  this  first 
mission  to  Europe,  is  largely  the  same  as  that  of  President 
Kimball  and  the  other  Elders  associated  with  them.  The 
spread  of  the  truth  was  rapid.  The  power  of  God  richly  at- 
tended their  labors,  and  in  one  year  the  baptisms  in  the  British 
Isles  approximated  fifteen  hundred  souls.  Elder  Hyde  re- 
turned to  Kirtland  May  22d,  1838,  and  in  a  short  time  removed 
to  Far  West,  Missouri.  Following  the  bitter  persecutions  en- 
dured by  the  Saints  in  Missouri,  he  removed  to  Nauvoo, 
Illinois,  and  took  part  in  the  early  settlement  of  that  historic 
place. 

At  the  April  conference  in  1840,  Brother  Hyde  was  called  on 
a  mission  to  Jerusalem.  He  was  soon  on  the  way,  bearing  the 
Gospel  message  to  the  land  of  Canaan,  where  once  dwelt  the 
Messiah  and  His  holy  Prophets  and  Apostles.  John  E.  Page 
was  appointed  to  accompany  him,  but  failed  to  comply,  and 
Elder  Hyde  proceeded  alone.  Crossing  the  ocean  to  Great 
Britain,  he  passed  on  to  Germany,  and  in  Bavaria  sojourned 
awhile,  to  learn  the  German  language.  He  proceeded  to 
Constantinople,  thence  to  Cairo  and  Alexandria,  and  encoun- 
tered many  hardships  during  the  journey.  He  reached  the 
holy  city  in  October,  1841,  and  on  Sunday  morning,  October 
24th,  he  ascended  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  sacred  spot  where 
once  stepped  the  feet  of  the  Savior,  and  where  He  will  stand 
again  in  the  last  days,  and  consecrated  the  land  to  the  gather- 
ing of  the  Jews.  He  erected  a  pile  of  stones  there  as  a  wit- 
ness, also  another  upon  the  Mount  Zion,  in  verification  of  a 


APOSTLE   OESON   HYDE.  189 

vision  given  him  before  leaving  Nauvoo  and  the  predictions  of 
the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  concerning  him.  He  reached  his 
home  in  .Nauvoo  in  December,  1842. 

Brother  Hyde  was  active  at  home  as  well  as  abroad  in 
preaching  the  Gospel  and  assisting  to  build  up  the  interests  of 
the  Saints  in  Nauvoo.  When  the  Prophet  and  Patriarch 
were  martyred,  Elder  Hyde  was  on  a  mission  with  other 
Apostles,  but  returned  with  them  to  Nauvoo  after  receiving 
the  sad  news.  He  was  with  the  Saints  in  their  exodus  from 
Illinois,  and  endured  patiently  the  hardships  incident  to  those 
trying  ordeals.  In  1S4G,  with  Elders  John  Taylor  and  Parley 
P.  Pratt,  Brother  Hyde  went  on  a  mission  to  England  to  set 
in  order  the  Church  in  that  land.  Upon  their  arrival,  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  "Millennial  Star,"  while  Elders  Taylor 
and  Pratt  visited  throughout  the  mission,  and  regulated  the 
branches  of  the  Church.  He  edited  the  "Star"  efficiently, 
and  his  writings  were  read  with  much  interest  by  the  Saints 
in  the  British  Isles.  He  returned  to  Winter  Quarters  in  1847. 

While  the  Pioneer  company  explored  the  West,  and  located 
the  resting  place  of  the  Saints  in  .Salt  Lake  valley,  Elder 
Hyde  remained  in  charge  of  the  Saints  at  Winter  Quarters. 
He  published  a  paper  at  Council  Bluffs  called  the  "Frontier 
Guardsman,"  and  came  to  Salt  Lake  valley  in  1851.  He  was 
energetic  'in  helping  to  found  the  new  commonwealth  and  in 
every  way  promote  the  growth  and  development  of  the  Church 
and  the  country.  In  1855  a  mission  was  established  in  Carson 
valley  under  the  immediate  presidency  of  Apostle  Hyde.  He 
organized  a  county  there,  which  was  then  in  Utah,  but  after- 
ward became  a  part  of  Nevada. 

In  later  years  Brother  Hyde  was  sent  to  take  charge  of  the 
interests  of  the  Church  in  Sanpete  county,  making  his  resi- 
dence at  Spring  City.  He  was  the  leading  spirit  in  that 
region  up  to  the  time  of  his  decease.  For  a  number  of  terms 
ho  represented  his  county  in  the  Territorial  Legislature,  and 
was  an  active,  efficient  law-maker.  He  wias  also  occupied, 
with  President  Young  and  other  leading  men  of  the  Church, 
in  visiting  the  settlements  of  the  Saints,  and  encouraging  the 
people  in  all  their  labors,  both  spiritual  and  temporal.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  committee  for  the  construction  of  the 
Manti  Temple.  More  than  seventy-three  years  of  age,  and 


190  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

after  a  Life  of  useful  activity,  in  which  he  suffered  many  trials 
and  hardships,  Apostle  Orson  Hyde  departed  this  life,  at  his 
home  in  Spring  City,  Sanpete  county,  Utah,  Nov.  28th,  1878. 
He  left  a  large  family  and  a  host  of  friends,  who  loved  him 
in  life,  and  mourned  his  absence  when  Providence  called  him 
to  another  sphere. 

Apostle  Hyde  was  a  man  of  marked  a'bility.  He  had  a 
strong  physical  constitution  and  a  powerful  intellect.  By 
application  of  mind  he  acquired  a  good  education,  which, 
coupled  with  a  long  >and  varied  experience,  made  him  a  strong 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  God,  in  disseminating  and  defend- 
ing the  truth.  He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  Bible  and 
New  Testament,  and  it  was  said  of  him  that  in  his  younger 
days,  if  any  one  should  quote  or  read  a  passage  from  any  part 
of  the  Scriptures,  Elder  Hyde  could  quote  the  next  verse,  and 
tell  you  where  to  find  it.  He  was  a  gifted  speaker  and  writer, 
and,  like  all  true  servants  of  the  Lord,  ascribed  ail  the  praise, 
honoT  and  glory  to  our  Heavenly  Father. 


APOSTLE  PARLEY  P.  PRATT. 

PARLEY  P.  PRATT,  who  was  one  of  the  first  council  of 
Apostles  in  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times,  was  born 
in  Burlington,  Otsego  county,  New  York,  April  12th,  1807. 
He  was  the  third  son  of  .Tared  and  Charity  Dickinson  Pratt. - 
While  still  in  boyhood,  Parley  was  noted  for  his  remarkable 
activity  of  body  and  mind.  He  worked  hard  upon  his  father's 
farm,  and  when  opportunity  afforded  him  the  privileges  of 
school,  he  was  cited  as  an  example  of  studiousness  worthy  the 
following  of  all  his  associates.  He  was  a  descendant  of  Lieu- 
tenant William  and  Elizabeth  Pratt,  who  were  among  the 
first  settlers  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  the  year  1639.  The 
supposition  is  that  they  accompanied  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker 
and  his  congregation  of  about  100  from  Cambridge  (then 
known  as  Newton),  Massachusetts,  through  a  wilderness  in- 
habited by  savages  and  wild  beasts,  to  the  place  where  they 
founded  the  colony  of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  1636.  This 
early  pioneer,  William  Pratt,  was  a  member  of  the  Connecticut 
Legislature  for  some  twenty-five  sessions,  his  long  term  of 
service  proving  his  efficiency  to  hold  the  office,  and  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  the  people.  The  general 
court  gave  him  one  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Saybrook,  Connec- 
ticut, for  gallant  services  rendered  in  the  Pequot  war.  He 
was  a  judge  in  the  first  court  of  New  London  county.  Parley 
P.  and  Orson  Pratt  are  lineal  descendants  of  the  seventh  gen- 
eration from  that  worthy  pilgrim  and  pioneer. 

Parley  P.  Pratt  was  distinguished  in  his  early  boyhood;  for 
the  maturity  of  his  thoughts  and  actions.  The  opportunities 
afforded  Mm  for  education  were  extremely  limited,  and  yet 
the  originality  of  his  thought  was  so  distinguished  that  he 
was  looked  upon,  by  many  who  knew  him,  as  a  leading  spirit 
with  a  great  destiny.  He  also  displayed  strong  tendencies  of 
a  religious  character,  and  for  some  time  was  associated  with 
the  followers  of  Alexander  Campbell. 

In  September,  1830,  while  residing  in  Ohio,  he  felt  strongly 


192  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

impelled  to  journey  eastward.  Acting  upon  this  suggestion  of 
the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  he  went  eastward  several  hundred  miles, 
where  he  came  into  possession  of  a  copy  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. He  read  the  sacred  volume  with  a  prayerful  heart,  and 
arose  from  its  perusal  a  witness  of  the  promise  contained  in 
the  book  that,  those  who  read  it  with  a  desire  to  know  the  truth, 
should  receive  a  testimony  of  its  truth.  He  immediately  set 
out  in  search  of  the  honored  men  who  had  seen  the  angel  and 
heard  the  voice  of  God.  He  soon  found  some  Elders,  and 
learned  from  them  o'f  the  organization  of  the  Church  on  April 
6th,  1830.  He  received  baptism,  and  was  ordained  an  Elder. 
He  visited  Canaan,  Columbia  county,  New  York,  where  he  bad 
spent  many  of  his  boyhood  days,  preached  several  times  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  baptized  his  brother  Orson'  on  the  nineteenth 
anniversary  of  the  latter's  'birthday,  September  19th,  1830, 
and  then  went  to  Seneca  county,  New  York. 

In  October,  1830,  Parley  and  three  others  were  commanded 
by  revelation  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  the  Lamanites,  or  Indians, 
located  in  the  western  boundaries  of  Missouri.  On  their  jour- 
ney they  spent  some  time  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  where  they 
preached  the  Gospel  to  Sidney  Rigdon,  Orson  Hyde,  and  other 
Campbellites.  They  baptized  many  of  them,  and  pursuing 
their  journey  to  Missouri,  Brother  Parley  was  among  the  first 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints  to  stand  upon  the  favored  site  where 
the  city  of  Zion  and  her  glorious  temple  are  to  be  reared  in  the 
last  days.  Early  in  1831  he  went  east  as  far  as  Ohio,  and  in 
Kirtland  met  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  During  the  summer 
he  performed  another  mission  in  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Missouri, 
preaching  the  Gospel,  baptizing  many,  and  promoting  by  every 
possible  means  the  interests  of  the  Church. 

While  the  Presidency  and  main  body  of  the  Church  were 
established  in  Ohio,  Brother  Parley  was  among  the  number 
located  in  Jackson  county,  Missouri,  building  up  the  city  of  the 
Saints  in  that  chosen  land.  In  the  fall  of  1833  he  and  over 
1,000  men,  women  and  children  were  driven  from  their  homes 
and  dispossessed  of  their  property  in  Independence  and  sur- 
rounding country.  Two  hundred  houses  were  burned,  also 
many  hay  stacks ;  cattle  and  hogs  were  shot  down  ;  many  of  the 
saints  were  cruelly  whipped,  others  killed,  and  the  body  of  the 
people  driven  across  the  river  into  Clay  county.  Subsequently 


PARLEY  P.   PRATT. 


-13 


194  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

Elder  Pratt  performed  a  long  mission  of  over  1,200  miles  to 
the  east,  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  encouraging  the  Saints. 

In  1834  he  returned  to  'Clay  county,  Missouri,  and  wherever 
he  went  was  a  most  energetic  and  capable  minister  of  the 
Gospel.  He  returned  to  Kdrtland,  O.,  a,nd  on  February  21st, 
1835,  having  been  previously  called  to  the  Apostleship,  re- 
ceived his  ordination.  After  this  he  went  East  with  his  fellow- 
Apostles,  and  performed  a  faithful  mission  in  New  York,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  the  New  England  States. 

In  1836  he  preached  the  Gospel  in  Canada,  where  he  organ- 
ized a  large  -branch  of  the  Church  in  Toronto,  and  others  in 
neighboring  towns.  Upon  this  eventful  mission  he  baptized 
the  late  President  John  Taylor  and  others,  who  became  such 
substantial  advocates  of  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the  last  days. 
Before  leaving  Kirtl-and,  Apostle  Kimball  promised  Brother 
Parley  that  in  Canada  he  would  find  a  people  prepared  to  re- 
ceive him,  and  that  his  wife  should  bear  him  a  son.  They 
had  been  married  ten  years  without  posterity.  Both  these  re- 
markable predictions  were  fulfilled. 

In  1837,  Elder  Pratt  founded  a  large  branch  of  the  Church 
in  New  York  City.  In  1838  he  removed  from  Ohio  to  Cald- 
well  county,  Missouri,  where  persecution  was  raging  in  a 
furious  manner.  Over  a  score  of  men,  women  and  children 
were  murdered  in  cold  blood.  Many  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  dollars'  worth  of  property  was  destroyed,  and  over  10,000 
people  were  banished  from  the  State. 

Elder  Pratt  was  among  the  number  captured  by  the  mob 
militia  through  the  treachery  of  George  M.  Hinkle,  and  sent 
to  prison  in  Richmond,  Ray  county,  Missouri,  with  other 
brethren.  He  was  kept  in  prison  seven  months  without  trial. 
By  the  help  of  the  Lord,  he  escaped  from  prison  on  July  4th, 
1839,  and  successfully  regained  his  liberty.  In  this  way  he 
joyfully  celebrated  the  Nation's  anniversary.  Upon  gaining 
his  freedom,  he  published  a  history  of  the  Missouri  persecu- 
tions, the  first  edition  appearing  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  1839. 
He  went  wilth  the  Twelve  to  England  in  1840,  and  became  the 
first  editor  of  the  "Millennial  Star,"  a  periodical  now  over 
sixty  years  of  age,  and  still  published  as  an  exponent  of  the 
history  and  doctrines  of  the  Church;  especially  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  the  European  mission.  In  1841  he  was  appointed 


APOSTLE    PARLEY- P.   PRATT.  195 

to  preside  over  the  British  mission.  In  this  capacity  he  con- 
tinued to  edit  the  "Star,"  visit  the  several  conferences  of  the 
mission,  superintend  the  emigration  of  the  'Saints,  and  in  a 
most  efficient  manner  conduct  all  the  general  affairs  of  the 
mission.  He  also  wrote  and  published  several  interesting  little- 
works  explaining  the  principles  of  the  Gospel.  In  the  winter 
of  1842-3  he  returned  to  Nauvoo,  the  home  of  the  Saints,  con- 
tinuing faithfully  at  work  in  the  ministry. 

In  the  summer  of  1844,  when  the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  and 
Hyrum  Smith  occurred,  Elder  Pratt  was  doing  missionary 
service  in  the  East,  with  most  of  his  quorum.  All  at  once  he 
was  impressed  to  leave  for  home  in  Nauvoo.  He  took  passage 
on  a  canal  boat  near  Utica,  N.  Y. ;  his  brother  William, 
also  on  a  mission,  came  aboard  the  same  boat.  Brother  Par- 
ley felt  overcome  with  gloom,  and  said,  "Brother  William, 
this  is  a  dark  hour.  The  powers  of  darkness  seem  to  tri- 
umph, and  the  spirit  of  murder  is  abroad  in  the  land;  it  con- 
trols the  hearts  of  the  American  people,  and  a  vast  majority 
of  them  sanction  the  killing  of  the  innocent."  Many  other 
expressions  did  he  utter  of  like  character,  without  knowing 
the  exact  cause;  but  it  was  June  27th,  1844,  in  the  afternoon, 
and  about  the  same  hour  when  a  furious  mob,  1,000  miles 
distant,  were  shedding  the  blood  of  Presidents  Joseph  and 
Hyrum  Smith  atnd  Elder  John  Taylor,  in  Carthage,  111.  Elder 
Pratt  hastily  returned  to  Nauvoo.  receiving  on  the  way  the 
revelation  of  the  Holy  -Spirit  that  all  would  be  well,  the  work 
of  God  would  Toll  on,  and  His  kingdom  be  established,  regard- 
less of  all  efforts  to  destroy  it.  Brother  Parley  was  full  of 
encouragement  to  the  Saints  and  loyal  to  the  Holy  Priesthood 
during  these  trying  scenes. 

In  the  spring  of  1845,  Elder  Pratt  was  appointed  to  preside 
over  the  conferences  of  the  Eastern  and  Middle  States,  with 
headquarters  in  New  York  City.  While  there  he  published  an 
interesting  and  spirited  periodical  entitled  "The  Prophet." 
He  returned  home  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1846,  he  again  became  an  exile,  being  driven,  with 
15,000  co-religionists,  from  their  homes  in  Illinois,  for  no  other 
cause  than  the  one  which  induced  Cain  to  slay  his  brother 
Abel,  the  brethren  of  Joseph  to  sell  him  to  the  Ishmaelites, 
and  the  Jews  to  betray  and  crucify  the  Redeemer — the  victims 


196  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

of  hatred  had  offered  a  more  acceptable  offering  unto  the  Lord. 
The  home  of  Elder  Parley  P.  Pratt  still  remains  in  Nauvoo 
in  good  preservation,  a  monument  of  his  never-ceasing  in- 
dustry. 

Elder  Praltt  and  his  family  passed  through  many  tribulations 
in  their  pilgrimage,  and  fimally  found  a  temporary  resting- 
place  in  the  Indian  country,  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa.  There 
he  was  called  by  the  voice  of  inspiration,  through  the  Prophet 
broad  prairies  of  Iowa,  to  comply  with  this  divine  call.  He 
his  family  almost  destitute  of  food  and  shelter,  upon  the 
broad  prairies  of  Iowa,  to  comply  with  this  Divine  call.  He 
accomplished  a  faithful  work  in  the  British  Isles,  visiting  the 
various  conferences  and  strengthening  the  branches  of  the 
Clhurch.  He  returned  to  "his  family  in  the  spring  of  1847,  and 
the  same  summer  and  autumn  they  wended  their  way  across 
the  great  plains  to  Salt  Lake  valley,  where  they  arrived  in  the 
fall  of  1847.  They  passed  through  the  ordeals  and  hardships 
incident  to  the  founding  of  settlements  in  the  then  desert  lands 
of  Utah. 

Brothetr  Parley  was  a  most  industrious,  hard-working  man, 
making  new  roads,  building  bridges,  and  in  every  practical  way 
promoting  growth  and  development  among  the  Saints  of  God. 
He  was  prominent  in  the  formation  of  a  constitution  for  the 
provisional  State  of  Deseret,  was  elected  a  senator  in  the 
General  Assembly,  and  subsequently  served  with  distinguished 
ability  in  the  Territorial  Legislature  of  Utah.  In  1851  he 
went  on  a  mission  to  the  Pacific  islands  and  South  America. 
He  was  absent  upon  this  mission  about  four  years.  Keturn- 
ing,  he  occupied  much  of  his  time  visiting  the  Colonies  of  the 
Saints  in  their  several  places  of  location,  and  when  at  home 
was  busy  in  manual  labor,  improving  his  home  and  the  city  of 
the  Saints. 

In  the  winter  of  1855-6  he  officiated  as  chaplain  in  the 
legislative  council  of  the  Territory,  convened  at  Fillnaore 
City.  In  the  fall  of  1856  he  crossed  the  plains  with  a  com- 
pany of  Elders,  and  spent  the  winter  visiting  the  Saints,  and 
preaching  the  Gospel  in  Philadelphia,  New  York,  St.  Louis, 
and  other  places.  In  New  York  City  he  met  his  warm,  de- 
voted friend,  Apostle  John  Taylor,  whom  he  had  baptized 
twenty  years  before.  While  there,  having  a  premonition 


APOSTLE    PARLEY   P.   PRAPT.  197 

that  the  end  of  his  earthly  career  was  rapidly  approaching, 
he  wrote  a  poem  called  "My  Fiftieth  Year,"  throughout  which, 
in  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  he  pointed  to  the  end  of  his  mor- 
tality. President  Taylor  also  knew,  by  the  spirit  of  revela- 
tion, that  it  was  the  last  time  he  should  ever  see  Brother  Par- 
ley in  this  life.  Elder  Taylor  wrote  in  beautiful  verse  an 
appropriate  response  to  Brother  Parley's  poem.  Tlhese  pro- 
ductions are  to  be  found  in  the  "Autobiography  of  Parley  P. 
Pratt,"  published  by  his  eldest  son,  Parley,  many  years  after 
his  father's  decease.  On  his  way  home,  he  came  by  Fort 
Smith  and  Van  Buren,  Ark.,  where  he  was  arrested  on  a 
trumped-up  charge  by  a  bitter  anti-"Mormon"  and  thrust  into 
prison.  Upon  his  trial  before  the  court,  he  was  proved  inno- 
cent in  the  fullest  degree,  and  given  his  liberty.  Several  of 
the  old  settlers,  who  knew  Elder  Pratt  in  that  section  of  Ar- 
kansas, still  remain,  and  testify  in  the  highest  terms  of  his 
nobility  and  grandeur  of  character.  The  judge  who  tried  his 
case  said  to  a  relative,  subsequent  to  the  trial,  that  she  n>evf:r 
experienced  so  sublime  a  spirit  and  influence  as  when  in  the 
presence  of  this  great  man,  and  "if  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
an  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  Parley  P.  Pratt  is  such  a  man." 
When  he  was  discharged,  and  friends,  knowing  of  the  bitter- 
ness of  his  enemies,  felt  sure  of  his  assassination,  and  offered 
him  weapons  of  defense,  he  answered  mo,  that  the  end  was 
near,  and  that  his  mission  was  peace  on  earth  and  to  man 
good  will.  On  the  13th  of  May,  1857,  while  journeying  west- 
ward on  the  wagon  road  from  Fort  Smith  to  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory, he  met  his  death  at  the  hands  of  a  wicked  assassin.  He 
was  laid  to  rest  near  the  fatal  spot  by  Elder  George  Higginson 
and  a  few  kind  friends  who  lived  in  that  region. 

Parley  P.  Pratt  was  one  of  the  most  efficient  Apostles  of 
the  Lord  who  has  ever  lived  in  any  dispensation.  In  writing 
and  speaking  the  word  of  the  Lord  he  was  filled  with  the  in- 
spiration of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  was  truly  poetical,  and 
many  of  his  choicest  poems  and  hymns,  familiar  to  the  Latter- 
day  Saints,  are  the  expressions  of  divine  inspiration  through 
this  great  Apostle.  He  wrote  "The  Voice  of  Warnlmg,"  "Key 
to  Theology,"  a  history  of  his  own  life  and  travels,  and  many 
smaller  works,  all  of  which  bear  the  unmistakable  evidence 
of  an  inspirational  mind.  His  "Voice  of  Warning,"  as  a 


198  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

means  of  conversion  to  the  honest  in  heart,  has  no  superior 
among  books,  save  it  be  the  Book  of  Mormon.  At  times  he 
was  so  full  of  inspiration  th'at  the  influence  which  radiated 
through  him,  and  the  intensely  interesting  character  of  his 
conversation  in  public  and  private,  to  his  listeners,  caused 
many  hours  to  be  apparently  reduced  to  brief  moments  of 
time.  While  traveling  as  a  missionary  on  foot,  without  purse 
or  scrip,  tlhe  Spirit  of  the  Ix>rd  would  often  inspire  him  to 
write,  when  he  would  sit  down  by  the  roadside  or  in  the  shady 
woodland  and  inscribe  the  glorious  truths  of  heaven.  He 
also  wrote  much  while  in  prison  for  the  Gospel's  sake.  He 
traveled  thousands  of  miles  in  his  own  and  foreign  lands  for 
the  salvation  of  the  human  family,  an'd  was  instrumental  in 
bringing  many  souls  into  the  fold  of  Christ.  He  had  a  testi- 
mony that  every  principle  revealed  through  the  Propheit  Joseph 
Smith  was  true,  and  so  taught  his  own  family.  All  his 
children  are  in  the  Church,  imbued  with  the  faith  of  their  hon- 
ored1 sire,  and  his  memory  will  outlive  the  limits  of  time  and 
extend  to  all  the  eternities  of  the  boundless  future. 

President  John  Taylor  wrote  concerning  Brother  Parley,  in 
the  preface  of  his  autobiography :  "He  has  gone — but  has  left 
a  name  and  a  fame  that  will  live  throughout  time  'and  burst 
forth  in  eternity.  And  in  the  morning  of  the  first  resurrection, 
when  the  opening  heavens  shall  reveal  the  'Son  of  God,  and 
He  shall  proclaim,  'I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,'  when 
Death  shall  deliver  up  the  dead,  I  expect  to  meet  Brother  Par- 
ley in  the  resurrection  of  the  just." 


APOSTLE  ORSON  PRATT. 

The  great  Apostle  ORSON  PRATT  was  born  in  Hartford,  Wash- 
ington county,  New  York,  September  19th,  1811.  His  father's 
name  was  Jared  Pratt,  his  mother's,  Gharity  Dickinson  Pratt. 
They  were  of  the  sturdy,  hard-working  elment  who  furnished 
the  muscle  and  sinew  which  founded  and  built  the  Nation  in 
the  early  days  of  our  country.  Orson  was  a  younger  brother 
of  Parley  P.  Pratt,  both  of  whom  became  members  of  the 
first  quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  chosen  in  this  dispensa- 
tion. They  were  accustomed  -to  hard  work  and  throughout  life 
were  very  industrious.  The  Pratt  family  'moved  to  New  Leb- 
anon, in  Columbia  county,  at  which  place  Orson  obtained  a 
common  school  education.  Brother  Pratt  early  became  a 
student  of  the  Bible,  and  also  manifested  a  strong  desire  for 
useful  knowledge,  in  whatever  line  and  from  whatever  source 
he  could  obtain  it. 

In  the  fall  of  1827  he  went  to  Ohio.  One  year  later  ihe 
walked  nearly  700  miles  to  Connecticut,  and  from  there  went 
to  Long  Island,  where  he  studied,  in  1829-30,  grammar,  sur- 
veying and  geography  at  a  boarding  academy.  Although 
studious  and  prayerful,  neither  he  nor  his  parents  joined  any 
of  the  sectarian  denominations. 

His  brother  Parley,  who  had,  a  few  months  previously,  em- 
braced the  Gospel  as  revealed  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith, 
came  to  Canaan,  New  York,  with  another  Elder,  to  preach 
the  Gospel.  Orson  at  once  received  their  testimony,  and  was 
baptized  September  19th,  1830,  the  nineteenth  anniversary  of 
his  birthday.  In  October  the  same  year  he  traveled  two  hun- 
dred miles  to  see  the  Prophet  Joseph.  It  was  on  this  occasion, 
November  14th,  1830,  when  the  Lord,  through  his  Seer,  spoke 
to  Orson  Pratt,  giving  the  revelation  found  in  Section  34  of 
the  Doctrine  and  Covenants.  This  revelation  told  the  calling 
of  his  future  life.  Prior  to  this,  though  studious  and  indus- 
trious, he  had  wandered  much,  and  thought  there  was  something 
lacking.  He  longed  for  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price.  Now  he 


200  PROPHETS  AND  PATRIARCHS. 

had  found  it.  What  a  glorious  blessing  to  thus  be  called 
and  directed  by  our  Heavenly  Father!  Such  was  the  blessed 
privilege  conferred  upon  Orson  Pratt  when  nineteen  years 
of  age.  His  calling  was  to  lift  up  his  voice  'and  cry  repent- 
ance to  a  fallen  world,  and  thus,  like  John  the  Baptist,  prepare 
the  wray  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord. 

Orson  Pratt  was  ordained  an  Elder  December  31st,  1830, 
and  immediately  performed  his  first  mission,  to  Colesville, 
Broom  county,  New  York.  Early  in  1831  he  walked  300 
miles  to  Kirtland,  Ohio.  From  Kirtland,  as  headquarters  of 
the  Church,  Elder  Pratt  performed  .several  short  missions  in 
Ohio,  Illinois,  and  Missouri.  He  was  greatly  blessed  in  bring- 
ing people  into  the  Church,  most  of  them  proving  to  be  good, 
reliable'  souls  who  proved  a  blessing  to  the  Cause.  June  25th, 
1832,  !he  was  chosen  to  preside  over  the  Elders  of  the  Church, 
and  was  sent  on  a  mission  to  the  Eastern  States.  Subse- 
quently he  was  ordained  a  High  Priest,  and  continued  mis- 
sionary work  through  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey  and 
New  York,  traveling  without  purse  or  scrip.  He  traveled  on 
foot,  and  extended  his  labors  through  ,New  Hampshire  and 
Connecticut.  Upon  returning  to  Kirtland  from  his  mission  in 
1832,  he  had  walked  about  4,000  miles,  baptized  one  hundred 
four  persons,  and  organized  several  branches  of  the  Church. 
In  Kirtland  he  attended  the  School  of  the  Prophets,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1833  performed  another  mission,  traveling  2,000 
miles,  and  baptizing  over  fifty  persons.  Following  this,  he 
filled  a  special  mission  with  Elder  Orson  Hyde,  and  next  he 
became  one  of  that  noted  body,  Zion's  Camp. 

April  26th,  1835,  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles. 
During  the  winter  of  1835-36  he  studied  Hebrew,  and  received 
his  endowments  in  the  Kirtland  Temple.  After  this  he  filled 
a  mission  in  western  Canada,  baptized  a  number  of  converts, 
and  organized  several  branches  of  the  Church.  July  4th, 
1836,  he  received  in  marriage  Sarah  M.  Bates.  In  April,  1839, 
he  joined  the  Twelve  at  Far  West  to  fulfill  a  revelation,  and 
from  thence  started  on  a  mission  to  Europe.  On  his  way 
he  preached  to  the  branches  of  the  Church  in  the  East,  and 
embarked  for  England  in  the  spring  of  1840.  He  labored 
principally  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  where  he  raised  up  a 


ORSON  PRATT. 


202  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

branch  of  over  200  people.  He  returned  home  in  the  spring 
of  1841. 

In  Nauvoo,  to  which  point  the  Saints  had  been  moved,  he 
taught  the  school  of  mathematics.  In  1842  he  filled  a  mission 
in  the  Eastern  States,  and  on  returning  to  Nauvoo  was  made 
a  member  of  the  city  council.  He  assisted  in  drawing  up  a 
memorial  to  Congress,  and  repaired  to  Washington  to  present 
it  in  the  spring  of  3844.  He  la'bored  in  the  East  until  the 
martyrdom  of  the  Prophet  and  the  Patriarch,  when  he  re- 
turned with  the  Twelve  to  Nauvoo.  During  the  troubles  fol- 
lowing the  martyrdom  of  the  Prophet,  Brother  Pratt  shared 
in  all  the  trials  and  troubles1  of  those  times.  He  was  in  the 
exodus  from  Nauvoo,  and  when  the  Pioneer  company  to  cross 
the  plains  was  made  up,  Orson  Pratt  was  one  of  that  historic 
body.  While  en  route  he  made  astronomical  observations, 
and  by  the  aid  of  the  sextant  and  circle  of  reflection  deter- 
mined the  latitude  and  longitude,  as  well  as  the  change  of 
elevation  in  different  points  a'bove  the  sea  level.  He  entered 
Salt  Lake  valley  with  Erastus  Snow,  three  days  in  advance 
of  the  main  body  of  Pioneers. 

In  1848,  Elder  Pratt  was  appointed  to  preside  over  the 
British  mission,  which  then  included  the  conferences  in  Eng- 
land, Ireland,  Scotland,  and  Wales.  During  his  presidency 
of  two  years,  over  12,000  people  joined  the  Church  in  that 
mission.  While  presiding  in  England  he  edited  the  "Millennial 
Star,"  published  fifteen  pamphlets  of  his  own  production  and 
circulated  several  thousand  of  them  in  different  languages. 
He  traveled  and  preached  much,  and  started  for  Zion,  twenty 
ship  companies  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Soon  after  his  return 
home  he  delivered  twelve  astronomical  lectures  in  the  Old 
Tabernacle  to  large  audiences.  He  became  a  member  of  the 
Utah  Legislature  at  its  first  session,  and  for  many  sessions 
thereafter  when  he  wras  in  the  Territory  and  was  seven  times 
Speaker  of  the  House.  In  1852  he  went  to  Washington, 
D.  C.,  and  published  the  "Seer"  which  contained  many  of  his 
choice  writings.  In  1860-61  he  performed  a  mission  in  the 
United  States,  and  in  1864-65,  with  Elder  William  W.  Riter, 
went  to  Australia  to  introduce  the  Gospel,  but  the  stringency 
of  the  Australian  laws  prevented  them  from  accomplishing 


APOSTLE  ORSON  PRATT.  203 

the  object  of  their  mission.  He  bore  his  testimony  to  Govern- 
ment officials,  and  then  left  them.  Returning,  he  visited  the 
conferences  in  England,  and  labored  there  until  1867.  In 
1860  he  went  to  New  York  City,  and  translated  and  published 
the  Book  of  Mormon  in  phonetic  characters.  In  August,  1857, 
he  held  the  famous  three-days'  discussion  with  Dr.  J.  P.  New- 
man on  the  question,  "Does  the  Bible  Sanction  Polygamy?" 
A  verbatim  report  of  the  discussion  is  published,  and  all  who 
wish  to  do  so  may  read  and  judge;  for  themselves.  Suffice 
it  to  say  'here  that  the  reverend  gentleman  was  completely 
overthrown  on  every  phase  of  the  controversy.  Brother  Pratt 
met  him  on  grounds  of  his  own  choosing,  and  showed  such 
mastery  of  the  Bible,  of  the  Hebraic  legends,  and  the  general 
rules  of  polemical  discussion,  as  well  as  a  much  superior  com- 
mand of  language  and  style  of  delivery,  that  Dr.  Newman  was 
defeated  at  the  outset. 

In  1847,  Elder  Pratt  became  Historian  and  general  Church 
Reporter,  which  positions  he  filled  with  a'bility  to  the  time  of 
his  decease,  in  1881.  He  crossed  the  ocean  again  in  1876, 
this  time  to  transcribe  and  publish  an  edition  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon  in  the  Pitman  phonetic  characters.  About  one  year 
later  he  published  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  with  extensive  references  and  foot-notes,  making 
for  that  purpose  another  trip  to  England.  Upon  returning 
home,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  legislature,  occupying  his 
usual  position  as  speaker  of  the  house. 

His  health  failed  him  in  1880,  and  he  suffered  with  kidney 
troubles  for  over  a  year.  His  last  public  address  was  de- 
livered in  the  Tabernacle  on  Sunday,  September  18th,  1881. 
This  was  the  last  earthly  address  of  one  of  the  greatest 
Apostles  that  ever  lived.  In  his  remarks  he  expressed  his 
desire,  were  it  the  Lord's  will,  to  continue  in  this  life  to  preach 
and  publish  the  Gospel  abroad.  When  he  concluded,  Apostle 
Woodruff  arose,  and  said,  in  substance:  "I  have  known 
Brother  Pratt  for  forty-five  years.  I  have  traveled  with  him 
by  sea  and  by  land.  He  has  been  faithful  and  energetic  in 
his  calling.  I  have  never  known  the  winds  on  the  mighty 
ocean  to  toss  the  vessed  too  much — and  we  have  been  in  storm* 
—when  Orson  Pratt  could  not  sit  calmly  upon  the  deck  or  '» 


204  PROPHETS  AND    PATRIARCHS. 

his  room  and  study  astronomy,  mathematics,  or  the  Gospel  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Orson  Pratt  died  October  3d,  1881,  at  his  home  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  He  was  then  seventy  years  of  age.  He  had  been  in 
the  church  fifty-one  years.  During  that  half  century  he  had 
traveled  thousands  of  miles  in  his  own  country,  much  of  it  on 
foot,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean  at  least  twelve  times, 
bearing  the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  Besides  his  industries  as  an  Apostle  of  the  Lord  in 
preaching  and  publishing  the  Gospel,  he  studied  astronomy 
and  higher  mathematics.  He  left,  in  manuscript,  a  work  on 
"Differential  Calculus,"  containing  original  principles.  He 
also  published  "Pratt's  Cubic  and  Biquadratic  Equations," 
and  another  work  entitled  "A  Key  to  the  Universe,  or  a  New 
Theory  of  Its  Mechanism."  Learned  professors  in  the  uni- 
versities of  America  and  Europe  who  knew  Orson  Pratt,  pro- 
nounced him  one  of  the  profoundest  scholars  of  the  age, 
especially  in  mathematics  and  astronomy.  He  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  degree  of  M.  A.  Elder  Pratt,  while  a  profound 
thinker,  acknowledged  that  the  key  to  his  success  in  science, 
as  well  as  religion,  was  contained  in  the  revelations  of  God 
to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  himself. 

Elder  Pratt  was  blessed  with  such  profound  concentration 
of  thought  that  he  wras  frequently  oblivious  to  everything 
around  him.  He  was  not  disturbed  by  the  noise  of  children 
in  the  house  or  of  the  passing  railroad  trains  or  wagons  in 
the  streets.  'Members  of  his  family  relate  that  on  one  occa- 
sion, during  several  days  of  constant  study  on  some  problem, 
he  came  downstairs  in  the  morning,  trying  to  button  his  spec- 
tacles around  his  neck;  and  when  one  of  the  family  called 
his  attention  to  it,  he  s'aid:  "Oh,  I  thought  it  was  my  collar." 
Owing  to  his  profound  study,  he  was  not  given  to  ready  con- 
versation, and  pen-chance  at  times  he  felt  that  he  should  talk 
more  in  private  to  his  associates.  He  said  once  to  Brother 
Joseph  Bull  in  England:  "Brother  Bull,  I  almost  envy  you 
your  powers  of  conversation."  Notwithstanding  his  deep  re- 
searches for  knowledge,  his  great  leiarning,  and  the  rich 
measure  of  inspiration  he  enjoyed,  he  was  humble  and  meek, 


APOSTLE   ORSON   PRATT.  205 

as  all  truly  great  men  are.  He  acknowledged  that  God  was 
above  all,  and  the  source  of  true  knowledge.  He  saw  so 
much  ahead  to  be  learned  that  what  he  knew  he  recognized 
to  be  only  a  grain  of  sand  upon  the  seashore  or  a  drop  of  the 
mighty  ocean. 

Orson  Pratt  was  of  medium  height,  and  squarely  built.  He 
wore  a  flowing  full  beard,  white  as  the  driven  snow,  which 
made  him  appear  truly  patriarchal,  and  reminded  one  of  the 
title  given  to  our  first  progenitor,  "The  Ancient  of  Days."  He 
bora  his  trials  with  patience,  and  acknowledged  the  hand  of 
God  in  all  things. 

As  a  fitting  conclusion  to  this  brief  sketch,  we  quote  from 
the  "Deseret  News"  the  conclusion  of  its  editorial  at  the  time 
of  Elder  Pratt's  decease:  "Orson  Pratt  was  truly  an  Apostle 
of  the  Lord.  Full  of  integrity,  firm  as  a  rock  in  his  convic- 
tions, true  to  his  brethren  and  to  his  God,  earnest  and  zealous 
in  defense  and  proclamation  of  the  truth,  ever  ready  to  bear 
testimony  to  the  latter-day  work,  he  had  a  mind  stored  with 
scripture,  ancient  and  modern:  he  was  an  eloquent  speaker, 
a  powerful  minister,  a  logical  and  convincing  writer,  an  honest 
man,  and  a  great  soul  who  reached  after  eternal  things, 
grasped  them  with  the  gift  of  inspiration,  and  brought  them 
down  to  the  level  and  comprehension  of  the  common  mind. 
Thousands  have  been  brought  into  the  Church  through  his 
preaching  in  many  lands,  thousands  more  by  his  writings.  He 
set  but  little  store  on  the  wealth  of  this  world,  but  he  has  laid 
up  treasures  in  heaven  which  will  make  him  eternally  rich." 


APOSTLE  EZRA  T.  BENSON. 

EZEA  T.  BENSON  was  born  on  the  anniversary  of  Washing- 
ton's birthday,  February  22d,  1811,  in  Worcester  county,  Mas- 
sachusetts. He  was  the  eldest  son  of  John  and  Cloe  Benson. 
His  father  was  a  farmer,  and  Ezra,  who,  like  his  father,  was 
very  industrious,  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  he  was  six- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  reside  with  his  sister  and 
her  husband,  who  kept  a  hotel  in  the  city  of  Uxbridge.  His 
grandfather  Benson  suddenly  died  while  at  work  in  the  field, 
after  which  Ezra  T.  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  farm,  which  he 
managed  successfully.  At  the  age  of  twenty  he  received  in  mar- 
riage Pamelia  Andrus,  of  Northbridge,  Worcester  county,  Mas- 
sachusetts. Soon  after  this  he  moved  to  Uxbridge,  bought  out 
his  brother-in-law,  and  became  a  hotel  keeper.  He  was  engaged 
in  this  business  two  years,  in  which  time  he  made  considerable 
means,  which  he  invested  with  his  wife's  brother  in  renting  a 
cotton  mill  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of  cotton  in  Hol- 
land, Mass.  A  combination  of  circumstances  which  he  could 
not  control  rendered  him  unsuccessful  in  this  business.  He  lost 
money,  and,  retiring  from  the  business,  went  to  hotel  keeping. 
He  was  also  postmaster  in  the  same  town.  He  was  very  pros- 
perous, rapidly  making  means,  but  a  strong  and  unexplainable 
desire  came  over  him  to  visit  the  West.  He  knew  not  why, 
and  yet  he  could  not  shake  off  the  feeling. 

Early  in  1837,  with  his  family,  he  left  for  the  West.  In  Phil- 
adelphia a  gentleman  whose  acquaintance  he  had  formed,  spoke 
against  that  section  and  persuaded  Ezra  to  locate  in  Salem, 
saying  he  would  assist  him  with  means  to  establish  himself  in 
business.  This  suggestion  was  acted  upon  and  he  spent  one  year 
in  the  place.  In  the  meantime  this  great  desire  to  go  West 
remained  with  him,  and  he  could  not  divest  himself  of  the 
feeling.  His  friends  offered  him  money  and  tried  to  persuade 
him  to  tarry  and  locate  with  them,  but  to  no  purpose ;  he  longed 
for  the  "  land  beyond,"  and  in  that  direction  he  started.  Calling 
at  St.  Louis,  he  purchased  a  small  stock  of  goods  and  went  up 


EZRA   T.    BENSON. 


208  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

the  Illinois  river,  not  knowing  where  he  should  land.  While 
on  the  river  he  became  acquainted  with  a  gentleman  who  proved 
to  be  his  father's  cousin  and  who  lived  at  Griggsville,  111.,  where 
Ezra  concluded  to  stop. 

He  was  still  unsettled  in  his  intentions,  and  only  remained 
a  short  time,  when  he  moved  to  Lexington,  111.,  where  he  and 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Isaac  Hill  located  and  laid  out  a  town 
naming  it  Pike.  At  this  point  he  built  a  dwelling  and  a 
warehouse,  but  the  place  was  sickly,  and  his  restless  spirit  led 
him  to  move  onward.  In  1839,  early  in  the  year,  he  was  led  by 
his  impressions  to  Quincy,  in  search  of  a  home,  and  there,  for 
the  first  time  in  his  life  he  met  the  Latter-day  Saints,  who  had 
just  been  exiled  from  their  homes  in  Missouri.  Becoming  ac- 
quainted with  their  history  and  feelings,  his  sympathies  were 
enlisted.  He  heard  they  were  peculiar  in  their  views,  yet  in 
conversation  with  them  and  listening  to  their  public  discourses 
he  was  favorably  impressed. 

During  the  winter  he  boarded  with  a  family  of  Saints,  whose 
faith  and  deportment  in  the  walks  of  life  led  Brother  Benson 
to  hold  them  in  high  esteem.  About  this  time  a  public  debate 
was  held  in  Quincy,  in  which  Dr.  Nelson  opposed  the  doctrine  of 
the  Saints.  The  Prophet  Joseph  was  in  attendance,  and  Ezra 
listened  with  honest  attention  to  both  sides.  At  the  conclusion 
of  this  debate  he  was  fully  convinced  that  the  principles  of  the 
Saints  were  superior  to  those  of  their  opponents  and  in  perfect 
harmony  with  the  Bible.  While  rejoicing  in  their  victory  over 
the  opponent,  Ezra  had  no  idea  at  the  time  of  joining  the 
Church.  He  and  his  wife  continued  to  hear  them,  and  their 
doctrines  were  the  chief  topic  of  conversation.  His  wife  first 
declared  her  faith  in  the  doctrines,  and  when  the  people  who 
knew  them  learned  of  their  belief  in  "Mormonism,"  they  made 
a  determined  effort  to  get  them  identified  with  a  sectarian 
church.  About  this  time  Elders  Orson  Hyde  and  John  E.  Page, 
on  their  way  to  Jerusalem,  preached  in  Quincy,  and  all  doubts, 
if  any  still  existed  in  the  mind  of  Ezra  T.  Benson,  were 
removed.  He  and  his  wife  were  baptized  by  the  President  of 
the  Quincy  branch  on  July  19th,  1840. 

From  the  time  he  reached  Quincy  'all  desire  to  go  farther 
left  him.  He  was  content,  and  when  the  light  of  the  Gospel 
was  given  to  him  through  obedience  thereto,  he  knew  why  he 


APOSTLE   EZRA   T.   BENSON.  209 

wanted  to  go  West  and  why  discontent  attended  him  in  every 
place  until  he  reached  Quincy,  the  home  of  the  Latter-day 
Saints.  The  Lcrd  led  him  by  His  own  right  hand  and  prepared 
his  heart  and  that  of  his  wife  to  obey  the  truth  and  accomplish 
the  great  work  which  Brother  Benson  subsequently  performed 
as  a  servant  of  the  Lord.  In  the  fall  of  1840,  at  conference  in 
Nauvoo,  he  was  ordained  an  Elder.  Soon  after  his  return  to 
Quincy  he  was  favored  with  a  visit  from  President  Hyrum 
Smith,  who  ordained  him  a  High  Priest  and  appointed  him 
second  counselor  in  the  Presidency  of  the  Stake  recently  organ- 
ized by  President  Smith  in  that  place. 

In  April,  1841,  Ezra  removed  to  Nauvoo,  purchased  a  lot, 
built  a  home  and  was  in  every  way  active  in  promoting  the 
growth  of  the  Church  and  the  city  of  Nauvoo.  June  1st,  1842, 
he  went  to  his  native  Eastern  States,,  performed  a  good  work, 
and  returned  in  the  fall  of  1843.  In  the  month  of  May,  1844, 
he  went  East  with  Elder  John  Pack,  and  was  absent  until  they 
learned  of  the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith,  when 
they  returned  to  Nauvoo.  In  the  fall  of  1844  he  was  called  to 
be  a  member  of  the  High  Council  in  Nauvoo,  and  soon  after 
was  sent  on  another  mission  to  the  Eastern  States.  He  pre- 
sided over  the  Boston  conference  until  May,  when  he  was  coun- 
selled by  the  authorities  of  the  Church  to  gather  up  the  Saints 
in  that  region  and  lead  them  to  Nauvoo.  Upon  his  return  he 
went  to  work  on  the  Nauvoo  Temple,  working  hard  by  day  and 
many  times  standing  guard  by  night  to  prevent  the  onslaught 
of  fiendish  mobocrats. 

During  the  exodus  from  Illinois  Brother  Benson  and  family 
moved  out  with  the  first  company  in  1846.  William  Huntington 
presided  at  Mount  Pisgah,  and  to  him  Ezra  T.  Benson  was 
appointed  a  counselor.  While  at  Pisgah  he  was  notified  of  his 
appointment  to  the  Apostleship  to  fill  the  vacancy  in  the  council 
of  the  Twelve,  caused  by  the  apostasy  of  John  E.  Page.  He 
moved  on  to  the  main  camp  of  the  Saints  in  Council  Bluffs, 
and  at  this  place  was  ordained  to  the  Apostleship  July  IGth, 
1846.  From  Council  Bluffs  he  went  on  a  brief  mission  to  the 
East,  returning  Nov.  27th,  1846.  In  the  following  spring  he 
was 'selected  by  President  Young  as  one  of  the  honored  com- 
pany of  143  to  pioneer  the  great  West  and  find  the  home  which 
the  Lord  had  held  and  reserved  for  His  people.  When  Brother 
14 


210  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Benson,  years  before,  felt  the  spirit  urging  him  westward,  little 
did  he  dream  how  great  the  importance'  of  such  impressions  were, 
that  in  the  West  he  should  find  the  true  plan  of  salvation  and 
carry  the  standard  of  that  Gospel  still  westward  1,500  miles, 
plant  the  Stars  and  Stripes  on  Mexican  soil,  and  be  himself 
one  of  the  first  men  in  founding  the  greatest  commonwealth  in 
our  great  republic. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  the  valley,  Elder  Benson  returned  to 
meet  the  company  of  Saints  en  route  and  inform  them  that  a 
place  of  settlement  had  been  found.  He  accompanied  them  to 
their  destination  and  then  returned  to  Winter  Quarters  with  the 
Pioneers.  He  next  performed  a  successful  mission  in  the  East, 
being  absent  several  months.  On  Jan.  14th,  1847,  with  others, 
he  was  named  in  the  revelation  to  the  Prophet  Brigham  Young 
to  organize  companies  of  Saints  for  their  pilgrimage  to  the  far 
West.  "  Let  my  servants,  Ezra  T.  Benson  and  Erastus  Snow, 
organize  a  company,"  was  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  His  mouth- 
piece on  the  earth.  Upon  returning  from  his  mission  to  the 
East,  Ezra  was  appointed  to  preside  in  Pottowattamie  county, 
Iowa,  where  he  was  associated,  in  the  management  of  the 
Church  in  that  region,  with  Apostles  Orson  Hyde  and  George  A. 
Smith.  Concluding  his  labors  in  Iowa,  he  moved  to  Salt  Lake 
valley  in  3849.  En  route  he  was  seriously  ill,  but  by  the 
prayers  of  the  camp,  with  fasting,  the  power  of  God  was  mani- 
fested and  he  recovered.  Again,  in  1851,  he  was  sent  to  Potto- 
wattamie county,  to  gather  up  the  Saints  and  help  move  them 
to  the  body  of  the  Church.  From  this  mission  he  returned  in 
1852.  While  at  home  in  Utah  he  was  constantly  at  work  either 
with  his  hands  to  improve  and  develop  the  country,  in  counsel 
with  the  Priesthood,  or  preaching  the  Gospel  among  the  Saints. 
In  1856  he  went  on  a  mission  to  Europe,  where  he  was  asso- 
icated  with  Apostle  Orson  Pratt  in  the  Presidency  of  the  British 
mission.  He  returned  home  the  following  year. 

Elder  Benson  was  not  considered  a  great  public  speaker,  yet 
he  was  vigorous  and  earnest.  When  the  weather  was  uncom- 
fortably warm  it  is  said  that  he  would  take  off  his  coat  while 
preaching,  and  remark  to  the  congregation  that  he  believed  in 
"  comfort  more  than  style."  In  1860,  he  was  called  to  preside 
over  the  Saints  in  Cache  valley.  He  made  this  his  home  the 
remainder  of  his  natural  life,  being  the  Apostle  of  the  northern 


APOSTLE  EZRA  T.  BENSON.  211 

country.  He  was  wise  in  council,  industrious  and  exemplary  in 
habit,  and  a  source  of  great  strength  to  the  people  in  colonizing 
and  building  settlements  in  that  valley.  In  the  early  settlement 
of  Cache  it  was  so  cold  that  it  was  deemed  hardly  practicable 
for  occupancy.  Today  it  is  the  best  watered,  and  has  under 
cultivation  a  greater  percentage  of  its  lands  than  any  other 
valley  in  Utah. 

Elder  Benson  went  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  with  Apostle 
Lorenzo  Snow,  Elder  Joseph  P.  iSmith,  Alma  L.  Smith  and 
William  W.  Cluff,  to  regulate'  the  affairs  of  the  Hawaiian  mis- 
sion. He,  with  President  Snow,  narrowly  escaped  drowning, 
while  approaching  the  coast  of  one  of  the  islands,  by  the  cap- 
sizing of  the  boat.  This  was  the  last  mission  performed  by 
Apostle  Benson.  Aside  from  his  labors  abroad,  lie  performed 
many  important  missions  among  the  Saints.  He  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Provisional  State  of  Deseret.  Afterwards  he 
became  a  member  of  the  House  for  several  sessions  in  the  Ter- 
ritorial Legislature,  and  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life  he  was 
elected  and  served  with  ability  in  the  Legislative  Council.  In 
1869  he  became  associated  with  Elder  Lorin  Farr  and  Bishop 
Chauncey  W.  West  in  constructing  the  Central  Pacific  Railway. 
They  had  a  large  contract  of  grading  on  the  Promontory. 

On  Oct.  3d,  1869,  in  Ogden  City,  while  attending  to  a  sick 
horse,  he  was  suddenly  stricken  with  heart  failure  and  died  the 
same  day.  His  funeral  occurred  in  Logan  a  few  days  later, 
with  a  numerous  family  and  thousands  of  Saints  and  friends  to 
mourn  his  departure.  He  had  "  fought  the  good  fight,  kept  the 
faith  and  finished  his  course."  He  went  to  receive  the  crown 
of  glory  laid  up  for  the  faithful,  and  left  to  his  sons  and 
daughters  the  legacy  of  a  good  character  and  a  faithful  record 
of  devotion  to  God  and  His  Cause.  He  gained  eternal  riches,  as 
"  he  that  hath  eternal  life  is  rich." 


APOSTLE  CHARLES  C.  RICH. 

Among  the  great  and  good  men  of  this  dispensation  was 
CHARLES  COULSON  RICH,  born  August  21st,  1809,  in  Campbell 
county,  Kentucky.  He  was  the  son  of  Joseph  Rich  and 
Nancy  O'Neal.  His  parents  were  of  the  substantial  class  of 
people  who  are  always  the  backbone  and  sinew  of  every  country 
and  community.  They  were  industrious,  and  possessed  the  traits 
of  hospitality  and  kind-heartedness  so  proverbial  in  the  South. 
Charles  C.  imbibed  these  characteristics  in  his  early  youth,  and 
maintained  them  with  uniformity  throughout  life.  While  not 
possessed  of  the  tendency  to  pious  religious  profession  that  so 
many  in  these  days  manifest,  he  exhibited  a  consistent,  practical 
view  of  religious  matters  which  protected  him  against  the  fanat- 
ical zeal  of  many  by  whom  he  was  surrounded.  When  the 
restoration  of  the  Gospel  in  these  last  days  was  made  known 
to  him  he  received  the  impressions  of  its  truth,  and  with  an 
honest,  earnest  heart,  embraced  it  without  delay.  He  was  bap- 
tized April  1st,  1832,  by  Elder  Ira  M.  Hinkley,  in  Tazewell 
county,  Illinois.  He  soon  started  for  Kirtland  to  see  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith.  While  on  his  way  he  was  ordained  an  Elder  by 
Zebedee  Coltrin,  in  Fountain  county,  Indiana.  He  honored  his 
calling  as  an  Elder  by  laboring  faithfully  in  this  office  at  home 
and  abroad  until  1836,  when  he  was  ordained  a  High  Priest  by 
the  Patriarch  Hyrum  Smith.  He  received  his  endowments  in  the 
Kirtland  Temple,  participating  in  the  blessings  of  that  holy 
house.  With  his  father  he  removed  to  Far  West,  Mo.,  and  was 
soon  involved  in  the  trials  and  tribulations  which  came  upon 
the  Saints  through  mob  violence.  In  Caldwell  county,  Mis- 
souri, Feb.  llth,  1837,  he  received  in  marriage  Sarah  D.  Pea. 
She  shared  with  him  all  the  persecutions  of  these  days,  was 
exiled  with  him  from  place  to  place,  bore  to  him  noble  sons  and 
daughters,  and  survived  her  husband  several  years.  One  of 
her  sons  now  presides  over  all  the  conferences  of  the  South- 
ern States  mission,  the  land  that  gave  his  father  birth,  and 
afforded  to  the  Church  of  Christ  one  of  its  Twelve  Apostles. 


CHARLES  C.   RICH. 


214  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

It  is  but  a  fitting  coincident  that  Charles  d  Rich  should  be 
represented  in  the  Southern  States  by  one  who  presides  over 
the  interests  of  the  Church  in  that  land.  Though  the  truth 
today  is  submerged  in  the  'turbid  stream  of  prejudice,  founded 
on  false  reports,  and  which  shuts  the  doors  of  investigation, 
the  day  will  come  when  the  sons  of  the  South  will  rejoice  in 
having  produced  such  men  as  Charles  C.  Rich,  Abraham  O. 
Smoot,  and  others  of  similar  convictions,  who  embraced  the 
Gospel  as  revealed  from  heaven  to  'the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 

Elder  Charles  C.  Rich,  with  undaunted  valor,  took  a  most 
active  part  in  defending  the  Saints  against  mob  violence.  While 
carrying  a  flag  of  truce  he  was  shot  at  by  Samuel  Bogart,  a 
Methodist  preacher,  only  about  thirty  feet  away.  At  the  battle 
of  Crooked  River,  when  Apostle  David  W.  Patten  was  fatally 
wounded  by  the  mob,  Brother  Rich  laid  down  his  sword  while 
the  battle  was  raging  and  administered  to  the  dying  martyr. 
He  then  resumed  his  weapon  of  warfare,  took  command,  and  the 
battle  was  won  by  the  Saints.  On  account  of  the  prominent 
part  he  took  in  these  troubles,  and  because  justice  for  Latter- 
day  Saints  was  not  found  in  the  courts  of  Missouri,  Brother 
Rich  was  compelled  to  flee  for  his  life  to  the  State  of  Illionis. 
After  the  founding  of  Nauvoo  and  the  more  complete  organiza- 
tion to  meet  the  growing  needs  of  the  Church,  he  was  ordained 
a  member  of  the  High  Council  in  Nauvoo  and  also  became  a 
member  of  the  city  council.  He  filled  both  places  with  becom- 
ing dignity  and  ability. 

At  the  exodus  of  the  Saints,  Brother  Rich  left  Nauvoo  Feb. 
13th,  1846.  The  following  winter  he  presided  over  Mt.  Pisgah 
branch,  and  left  there  for  Winter  Quarters  on  March  20th,  1847. 
From  'this  point  he  took  charge  of  a  company  of  Saints  and 
commenced  the  journey  to  Salt  Lake  valley  June  14th,  1847. 
He  was  a  good  pioneer  and  a  source  of  encouragement  to  the 
Saints  in  their  pilgrimage  across  the  plains.  He  reached  Salt 
Lake  valley  Oct.  3d,  1847.  While  the  'Twelve  were  absent  on 
their  return  <to  Winter  Quarters,  Brother  Rich  acted  as  coun- 
selor to  Father  John  Smith,  the  Patriarch,  who  presided  over 
the  new  colony. 

On  Feb.  12th,  1849,  Elder  Rich  was  ordained  one  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles.  He  was  constantly  faithful  in  building  up  the 
interests  of  the  growing  city  of  Salt  Lake,  as  well  as  at- 


APOSTLE  CHARLES  C.   RICH.  215 

tending  to  his  ministerial  duties.  Oct.  9th,  1849,  he  started 
on  a  mission  to  California,  returning  November  4th,  1850. 
March  6th,  1851,  he  started  again  for  California,  accompa- 
nied by  a  portion  of  his  family.  The  purpose  of  the  mis- 
sion was  to  purchase  lands  for  the  location  of  the  Saints 
who  might  be  gathered  from  the  Pacific  Islands.  Amasa  M. 
Lyman  and  Elder  Rich  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  at 
San  Bernardino,  comprising  about  100,000  acres,  at  a  cost  of 
$77,500.  A  company  of  Saints  from  Utah  moved  to  this 
ranch  and  began  the  settlement  of  the  section,  which  is  now 
among  the  choicest  spots  in  California.  When  the  Buchanan 
war  was  inaugurated  the  tract  at  San  Bernardino  was  sold  and 
the  Saints  returned  to  Utah.  Brother  Rich  left  California  in 
April,  1875,  arriving  in  Salt  Lake  City  the  following  June.  He 
was  associated  with  General  Daniel  H.  Wells  at  Echo  Canyon 
and  Fort  Bridger,  impeding  the  progress  of  the  army  until  Pres- 
ident Buchanan  should  send  a  committee  to  investigate  the 
situation  in  Utah.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  the  sending  of 
the  army  to  Utah  was  actuated  by  the  shameful  inventions  of 
Judge  Drummond,  who  said  the  "Mormons"  were  in  rebellion 
and  had  burned  the  court  records.  As  has  been  previously 
stated,  this  was  a  falsehood  in  every  particular.  The  counsel 
and  assistance  of  Apostle  Rich  in  those  trying  times  was  of 
paramount  importance.  He  was  wise  and  courageous.  He  had 
learned  in  Missouri  the  lesson  of  facing  mob  armies  on  the 
battlefield,  and  was  well  prepared  for  any  emergency  that  might 
arise  in  later  times. 

After  the  trouble  subsided  and  the  building  of  homes  and 
settlements  was  resumed  with  vigor,  Elder  Rich,  in  I860,  was 
called  on  a  mission  to  England.  Upon  his  arrival  there  he  was 
associated  with  Elder  Amasa  M.  Lyman  in  the  presidency  of  the 
European  mission.  He  returned  home  in  1862,  resuming  his 
faithful  labors  among  the  Saints.  In  the  fall  of  1863  he  ex- 
plored Bear  Lake  valley,  removing  his  family  there  in  the  spring 
of  1864.  He  was  the  leader  of  the  pioneers  in  that  valley,  which 
today  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  prosperous  in  the  West. 
The  climate  is  cold  and  rigid.  The  snow  falls  deep  in  the  valley, 
and  much  more  so  in  the  mountains  adjoining.  In  those  early 
times,  long  before  the  advent  cf  the  railroad,  the  only  way  of 
receiving  and  sending  mails  was  to  cross  the  mountains  on  snow 


216  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

shoes.  This  was  a  hazardous  undertaking  when  the  storms  of 
winter  were  beating  violently  upon  the  snow-clad  peaks.  When 
others  shrank  from  this  task  Apostle  Rich  would  set  out.  His 
physical  endurance  was  wonderful,  so  great  that  he  scarcely 
knew  its  limit.  He  made  such  trips  many  times.  Being  for 
several  years  a  member  of  the  Territorial  Legislature,  he  would 
also  go  to  and  from  its  sessions  across  the  mountains  on  snow 
shoes.  Bear  Lake  valley  was  then  in  Utah,  but  is  now  in  South- 
ern Idaho.  Rich  county,  in  northeastern  Utah,  was  named  in 
his  honor.  He  was  a  natural  pioneer  and  much  of  his  time 
was  spent  on  the  frontier. 

Elder  Rich  continued  his  labors  in  the  Apostleship,  chiefly 
among  the  Saints,  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  and  in  every 
position  was  capable  and  faithful.  He  was  stricken  with  pa- 
ralysis Oct.  24th,  1880,  and  suffered  very  much  for  three  years. 
He  died  at  his  home  in  Paris,  Bear  Lake  county,  Idaho,  Nov. 
17th,  1883.  During  these  years  of  affliction  he  never  murmured, 
but  cheerfully  resigned  himself  to  the  trying  situation,  acknowl- 
edging the  "  hand  of  the  Lord  in  all  things." 

Apostle  Rich  believed  in  the  words  of  Jesus  and  Paul :  "  If 
ye  were  the  seed  of  Abraham,  ye  would  do  the  works  of  Abra- 
ham," and  "  if  ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed  and 
heirs  according  to  the  promise." 

He  was  the  father  of  one  of  the  largest  families  in  the 
Church.  Three  of  his  noble  and  devoted  wives,  Mary,  Emeline 
and  Harriet,  still  survive  him,  exercising  maternal  love  over  all 
the  children,  irrespective  of  parentage,  and  who  in  turn  are 
loved  and  revered  as  mothers  by  all  the  offspring.  He  truly 
lives  in  the  hearts  of  his  numerous  posterity,  many  of  whom 
reflect  the  sterling  qualities  of  their  worthy  and  honored  sire 
as  they  carry  responsibilities  of  trust  both  in  Church  and  State. 
Hon.  Joseph  C.  Rich,  the  oldest  son,  has  served  the  public  for 
many  years,  having  presided  over  the  State  Senate  of  Idaho, 
and  is  at  present  judge  of  one  cf  the  most  prominent  districts 
of  that  state ;  William  L.  is  a  member  of  the  Presidency  of  the 
Bear  Lake  Stake  of  Zion,  a  position  he  has  sustained  with 
honor  for  years;  Samuel  is  a  prominent  lawyer  of  Idaho,  as 
is  also  George  Q.,  of  Logan,  Utah ;  Drs.  Rich  &  Rich,  of  Ogden, 
Utah,  are  also  sons  of  Apostle  Rich.  Like  many  of  the  pos- 
terity of  his  associates,  his  children  and  grandchildren  have 


APOSTLE  CHRLES  C.   RICH.  217 

responded  to  many  calls  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  different  parts 
of  the  world. 

Apostle  Rich  was  an  humble,  unassuming  man.  He  was 
not  given  to  many  words  in  public  or  private,  but  what  he  did 
say  was  full  of  good  counsel  and  wisdom.  His  example  was  his 
best  sermon,  and  that  was  preached  every  hour.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  moral  and  physical  stamina.  He  had  the  courage  of  his 
convictions,  not  merely  the  courage  to  face  the  foe  in  sanguinary 
conflict  upon  the  battlefield,  but  the  grander  kind  which  caused 
him  to  act  upon  the  right  against  the  popular  sentiment  of  a 
frowning  world.  Stimulated  by  strains  of  martial  music  and  a 
glittering  array,  many  a  man  will  face  death  in  the  conflict  of 
war  who  would  shrink  from  the  sentiments  of  the  world  around 
him ;  but  the  man  who  is  truly  brave  is  he  that  dares  to  do  what 
is  right  against  the  power  of  might,  and  such  a  man  was  Charles 
C.  Rich.  He  dared  to  embrace  unpopular  truth  and  declare  it 
to  all  the  world.  He  had  the  courage  to  dress  plainly,  to  pat- 
ronize home  industry,  to  speak  and  act  for  the  weak  and  unpro- 
tected. He  was  one  of  nature's  nobility,  was  generous  and 
brave,  qualities  which  are  wanting  in  most  men  of  this  affected, 
wealth-loving,  sycophantic  age.  These  great  qualities  of  heart 
and  brain  he  sought  to  impress  by  example  upon  all  around  him. 
Perhaps  no  man  more  than  Apostle  Rich  entertained  and  acted 
upon  the  sentiments  of  freedom  expressed  by  the  poet : 

"  Is  true  freedom  but  to  break 

Fetters  for  our  own  dear  sake, 

And  with  leathern  hearts  forget 

That  we  owe  mankind  a  debt? 

No !    True  freedom  is  to  share 

All  the  chains  our  brothers  wear ; 

And,  with  heart  and  hand,  to  be 

Earnest,  to  make  others  free ! 

They  are  slaves  who  fear  to  speak 

For  the  fallen  and  the  weak. 

They  are  slaves  who  will  not  choose 

Hatred,  scoffing  and  abuse 

Rather  than  in  silence  shrink 

From  the  truth  they  needs  must  think. 

They  are  slaves  who  dare  not  be 

In  the  right  with  two  or  three." 

When  he  was  called  to  the  other  side  his  death  was  not 
mourned  by  his  patriarchal  family  alone,  but  by  all  who  knew 


218  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

him  throughout  the  various  Stakes  of  Zion.  The  leaders  of  the 
Church  always  recognized  him  as  a  man  who  was  sound  in 
doctrine,  never  fearing  to  correct  when  necessary,  and  always 
safe  in  counsel.  His  was  a  charitable  and  God-fearing  life,  and 
when  the  trump  of  God  shall  sound  and  the  sleeping  dust 
awake,  Apostle  Charles  C.  Rich  will  be  of  the  first  fruits  of 
"them  that  slept." 


APOSTLE  ERASTUS  SNOW. 

ERASTUS  SNOW  was  born  at  St.  Johnsburgh,  Caledonia 
county,  Vermont,  November  9th,  1818.  He  was  the  sixth  son  of 
Levi  and  Lucinda  Snow.  On  his  father's  side  he  was  a  descend- 
ant of  the  early  settlers  of  Massachusetts.  His  mother  was  a 
member  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church,  and  Erastus  early 
became  impressed  with  religion.  In  the  spring  of  1832  Elders 
Orson  Pratt  and  Luke  S.  Johnson  introduced  the  Gospel  to  the 
Snow  family,  all  of  whom  received  it  except  the  father  and 
two  sons.  William  and  Zerubbabel  were  the  first  "baptized,  and 
Erastus,  then  but  fifteen  years  old,  was  baptized  Feb.  3d,  1833, 
by  his  Brother  William.  He  was  ordained  a  teacher  June  18th, 
1834,  by  Elder  John  F.  Boynton.  His  Brother  William  ordained 
him  a  Priest.  In  this  capacity  he  extended  his  missionary 
labors  into  New  York  and  New  Hampshire,  where  he  held  meet- 
ings and  baptized  a  number  of  people. 

Brother  Snow  was  ordained  an  Elder  Aug.  16th,  1835.  He 
left  his  home  for  Kirtland  by  water,  being  almost  shipwrecked 
on  the  way,  but  reached  his  destination  in  safety  on  Dec.  3d. 
He  met  the  Prophet  Joseph  for  the  first  time  at  Kirtland  and 
lived  with  him  several  weeks.  In  the  winter  he  attended  the 
Elder's  school,  and  in  the  spring  received  his  endowments  in  the 
Kirtland  Temple,  together  with  nearly  200  other  Elders.  About 
this  time  he  was  ordained  into  the  second  quorum  of  the  Seven- 
ties and  received  his  patriarchal  blessing  under  the  hand  of 
Joseph  Smith,  Sr.  Thus  in  youth  he  became  a  witness  that 
God  had  renewed  his  choice  spiritual  blessings  upon  men  in  the 
flesh.  He  left  on  a  mission  to  Pennsylvania  April  16th,  1836. 
He  was  gone  eight  months,  traveled  1,600  miles,  preached  220 
times,  baptized  fifty  persons,  and  organized  several  branches  of 
the  Church  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  returning  to  Kirtland 
Dec.  29th,  1836. 

Brother  Snow  was  almost  incessantly  engaged  in  missionary 
labor.  He  traveled  in  Ohio,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia. On  one  occasion  six  ministers  assailed  him  on  the  Book 


220  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

of  Mormon.  He  proposed  to  produce  as  much  proof  for  the 
Book  of  Mormon  as  they  could  for  the  Bible,  but  none  of  the 
six  would  accept  the  proposition ;  so  in  order  to  present  the 
truth  to  the  people,  he'  accepted  other  terms  and  cauie  off  victo- 
rious. At  one  gathering  he  debated  twelve  hours  with  his  oppo- 
nent. In  May,  1838,  he  received  a  message  to  return  to  Ohio 
for  the  purpose  of  removing  to  Missouri. 

June  25th,  1838,  Elder  Snow  started  with  about  fifty  others 
for  Far  West,  Mo.  After  nearly  a  month's  journeying  by  water 
down  the  Ohio,  950  miles  up  the  Missouri,  550  to  the  Rich- 
mond landing,  and  forty  by  team,  they  arrived  in  Far  West 
July  18th,  1838.  Dec.  13th,  1838,  he  married  and  during 
the  winter  taught  school  in  Far  West.  With  others,  Brother 
Snow  visited  the  Prophet  Joseph  in  Liberty  jail.  In  an  attempt 
of  the  prisoners  to  escape,  the  visiting  brethren  were  locked  in 
the  jail  and  placed  under  arrest.  Threats  of  a  violent  character 
were  made  upon  their  lives,  but  the  Prophet  Joseph  told  them 
not  to  be  alarmed,  that  the  Lord  would  deliver  them  and  restore 
to  them  their  horses,  saddles,  blankets  and  all  that  had  been 
taken  from  them.  When  they  were  brought  to  trial,  Elder  Snow, 
by  advice  of  the  Prophet,  plead  their  cause  without  the  aid  of 
a  lawyer,  and  was  so  inspired  in  his  address  that  at  the  con- 
clusion the  attorneys  flocked  around  him  and  wanted  to  know 
where  he  had  studied  law,  stating  they  had  never  listened  to  a 
better  plea.  During  the  effort  to  secure  the  liberty  of  Joseph 
and  his  brethren,  Erastus  Snow  took  a  leading  part.  He  visited 
the  state  authorities  at  Jefferson  City,  Mo.  They  treated  him 
contemptuously,  but  by  faith  and  perseverance  he  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  procuring  a  change  of  venue,  and  on  the  way  from 
Liberty  the  prisoners  escaped  from  the  guards  and  made  their 
way  to  Illinois. 

In  the  spring  of  1837,  Elder  Snow  commenced  to  build  a  home 
in  Nauvoo,  but  soon  after  rented  a  small  dwelling  in  Montrose, 
Iowa,  and  started  on  a  mission.  He  preached  in  several  counties 
of  Illinois  and  administered  to  the  sick.  While  journeying  on 
this  mission  the  Lord  revealed  to  him  in  a  dream  that  his  family 
were  ill,  and  that  he  should  return  home.  On  his  return  he 
found  his  wife  and  other  relatives  very  low  with  the  fever  and 
ague.  Elder  Snow,  with  others,  went  from  house  to  house  ad- 
ministering to  the  sick  until  he  himself  was  taken  with  the  fever. 


ERASTUS  SNOW. 


222  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

In  October,  1839,  Brother  Snow  became  a  member  of  the 
High'  Council  at  Montrose.  He  endeavored  to  be  active  in  the 
ministry  during  these  days  of  sickness  among  the  Saints,  and  by 
over-exertion  was  prostrated  again,  and  in  Knox  county,  seventy 
miles  from  home,  was  laid  up  at  the  house  of  Brother  Haws. 
At  the  same  time  his  family  was  very  sick  at  home.  On  the 
return  of  the  Prophet  from  Washington  in  1840,  he  told  Brother 
Snow  that  his  labors  were  needed  in  Pennsylvania.  Through 
much  sickness  he  was  reduced  to  poverty,  but  by  the  kindness 
of  the  Saints  in  Commerce  he  secured  some  means  and  left  on 
his  mission  April  27th,  1840.  He  traveled  by  water  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Ohio  rivers  a  distance  of  1,400  miles,  to  Wells- 
burgh,  Va.,  where  he  and  his  companion  commenced  their  labors. 
He  debated  two  days  with  Matthew  Clapp,  a  Campbellite 
preacher,  with  victory  to  his  side.  They  then  proceeded  to 
Philadelphia.  During  this  mission,  Elder  Snow  did  successful 
missionary  work  in  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  New  Jersey  and 
Rhode  Island,  baptizing  a  goodly  number  and  holding  a  great 
many  meetings.  He  returned  in  six  months  to  bring  his  wife 
to  Pennsylvania,  having  traveled  5,650  miles.  He  started  on  his 
return  Nov.  7th,  and  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Pennsylvania 
published  a  tract  in  answer  to  a  publication  issued  against  the 
Saints  by  a  Methodist  preacher.  While  laboring  with  great 
zeal  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  they  met  Elder  George  A. 
Smith  on  the  latter's  return  from  England,  and  also  Hyrum 
Smith  and  others,  who  had  visited  the  New  England  States. 
Elder  Hyrum  expressed  a  desire  that  Brother  Snow  should  go 
to  Salem,  Mass.,  and  introduce  the  Gospel  to  the  inhabitants  of 
that  city.  Previous  to  this,  the  Lord  had  revealed  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  that  He  had  many  people  in  that  city.  Brother  Snow 
had  expected  to  return  to  Nauvoo.  Protracted  sickness  in  his 
family  and  continuous  absence  from  home  had  reduced  him  to 
poverty.  Notwithstanding  this,  he  started  for  a  strange  and 
unknown  region.  He  took  his  wife  and  child  to  his  brother's 
home  in  Rhode  Island,  and  continued  his  journey  to  Boston, 
where  he  met  Elder  Benjamin  Winchester,  who  had  been  as- 
signed as  his  traveling  companion. 

On  Sept.  3d,  1841,  they  proceeded  to  Salem,  a  city  at  that 
time  of  1,800  people.  They  secured  lodging  at  one  of  the  cheap- 
est hotels,  and  the  next  day  hired  the  Masonic  Hall  to  preach 


APOSTLE    ERASTUS  SNOW.  223 

iu.  They  then  wrote  an  epistle  to  the  people  of  Salem,  setting 
forth  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  in  simplicity,  and  circulating 
about  2,500  copies  among  the  people.  Elder  Winchester  then 
repaired  to  Pennsylvania,  while  Brother  Snow  labored  in  Salem, 
preaching  four  times  a  week  in  Masonic  Hall.  The  congrega- 
tions contributed  to  pay  the  hall  rent.  Opposition  soon  came, 
and  friends  also  were  raised  up  who  took  an  interest  in  the 
message  delivered  to  them.  His  friends  became  numerous  and  he 
no  longer  needed  to  live  at  a  hotel.  He  also  asked  the  Lord  to 
provide  a  home  for  his  family  and  his  prayer  was  soon  answered, 
for  a  Mr.  Alley,  of  Lynn,  five  miles  from  Salem,  invited  him  to 
bring  his  family  to  his  home  and  there  abide.  'Subsequently  they 
removed  to  Salem.  The  opposition  to  Brother  Snow  was  led 
by  a  priestly  editor,  who  published  in  his  paper  vile  falsehoods 
against  the  Saints,  but  refused  to  publish  Elder  Snow's  reply. 
This  led  to  a  six  days'  public  debate  held  in  Masonic  Hall. 
About  500  people  were  present,  and  as  the  days  went  on  the  in- 
terest increased.  The  popular  feeling  was  turned  against  the 
editor,  whose  arguments  were  made  up  of  slander  and  abuse. 
Many  more  friends  were  made,  new  investigators  came  to  the 
front,  and  on  Nov.  8th,  1841,  five  persons  were  baptized,  and 
soon  after  thirty  more.  On  March  5th,  1842,  Elder  'Snow  held  a 
conference  in  Masonic  Hall  and  organized  a  branch  of  fifty-four 
souls.  By  the  following  June  another  conference  had  been  held 
in  Salem  and  the  number  of  members  increased  to  ninety.  In 
Salem,  May  1st,  1842,  his  first"  son  was  born. 

Elder  Snow  continued  his  labors  in  Salem  and  vicinity  until 
the  spring  of  1843.  During  this  time  he  baptized  many,  the 
sick  were  healed,  branches  organized  and  many  meetings  held. 
He  had  several  discussions  with  ministers  of  various  sects, 
always  resulting  in  a  victory  for  the  truth  as  represented  by 
Elder  Snow.  Among  his  opponents  the  notorious  apostate,  John 
C.  Bennett,  came  to  Salem  and  lectured  against  Joseph  Smith 
and  the  Saints,  telling  base  falsehoods.  Elder  Snow  met  him 
so  ably  and  firmly  that  Bennett  soon  left  town.  Concluding  his 
fruitful  mission,  Elder  Snow  left  Salem  Aug.  9th,  and  reached 
Nauvoo  April  llth,  1843,  leaving  his  family  in  Salem.  He  re- 
turned in  May,  labored  several  months  in  the  mission  field,  and 
took  his  family  to  Nauvoo  in  November,  1843. 

Elder  Sncw  remained  in  Nauvoo  during  the  winter.     He  was 


224  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

intimately  associated  with  the  Prophet  Joseph,  with  whom  he 
spent  many  pleasant  hours.  He  became  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic Lodge  at  Nauvoo,  and  soon  advanced  to  the  degree  of 
Grand  Master.  At  the  dedication  of  the  Masonic  Temple,  April 
5th,  1844,  Elder  Snow  delivered  the  dedicatory  address.  At  the 
April  conference  in  Nauvoo,  1844,  Brother  Snow  was  again 
called  to  the  Eastern  States,  where  he  labored  diligently.  He 
returned  to  Nauvoo,  finding  the  Saints  bowed  down  in  sorrow 
over  the  martyrdom  of  their  beloved  Prophet  and  Patriarch. 
He  shared  in  all  their  sorrows  and  w<as  a  support  to  the  Twelve 
in  encouraging  and  sustaining  the  people  in  their  great  afflic- 
tion. He  was  present  at  the  special  meeting,  Aug.  8th,  when 
the  Twelve,  with  President  Young  as  their  senior,  were  acknowl- 
edged to  be  the  presiding  authority  in  the  Church  in  the  absence 
of  the  First  Presidency.  Brother  Snow  was  a  living  witness  to 
the  transfiguration  of  President  Young,  and  felt,  with  the  Saints 
present,  that  truly  the  mantle  of  Joseph  Smith  had  fallen  upon 
Brigham  Young.  Elder  Snow  spent  the  winter  in  Nauvoo,  b?ing 
diligent  in  his  calling  and  laboring  with  his  hands  to  provide  for 
his  family. 

In  September,  1845,  the  mob  renewed  with  vigor  its  persecu- 
tion. Elder  Snow  was  present  at  the  general  council  of  the 
Church  in  October,  1845,  where  Ge'n.  Warren,  Judge  Douglas 
and  other  representatives  of  Gov.  Ford  were  present  to  negotiate 
with  the  Saints  to  leave  the  state.  This  they  agreed  to  do  the 
following  spring.  The  state  authorities  guaranteed  their  pro- 
tection until  they  could  arrange  their  affairs  and  leave.  This 
pledge,  like  the  one  to  protect  the  Prophet,  was  not  kept,  for 
the  mob,  before  the  time  for  all  to  leave,  were  suffered  to  do 
them  violence  and  destroy  their  property.  Upon  the  agreement 
being  made,  the  Saints  intensified  their  diligence  in  completing 
the  Temple.  This  accomplished,  they  set  to  work  administering 
the  ordinances  therein. 

Before  the  exodus,  Elder  Snow  was  sent  to  Quincy  to  prepare 
supplies  for  the  Pioneer  company.  Upon  returning  he  was 
asked  by  President  Young  to  prepare  himself  and  family  for  the 
journey.  He  accordingly  sold  his  personal  property  at  a  low 
figure,  provided  himself  with  teams  and  provisions,  such  as  his 
limited  means  would  allow,  and  with  his  family  left  Nauvoo 
Feb.  16th,  1840.  While  crossing  the  river  the  boat  capsized, 


APOSTLE   ERASTUS  SNOW.  225 

resulting  in  the  loss  of  some  of  his  property  and  the  narrow 
escape  of  his  eldest  child  from  drowning.  His  family  pressed  on 
to  Mt.  Pisgah.  On  his  arrival  he  found  it  difficult  to  sell  his 
property  and  had  to  dispose  of  it  at  about  one-fourth  its  value. 
The  family  then  proceeded  until  they  reached  the  main  body  of 
the  Saints  at  Council  Bluffs,  and  thence  crossed  the  river  to  the 
camp  of  the  Twelve  at  Cutler's  Park.  Subsequent  to  this  he 
had  much  sickness.  His  youngest  child  died  Sept.  9th,  1846. 
In  the  winter  he  made  several  trips  to  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  and  other 
points  to  lay  in  supplies  for  his  family  and  others,  to  sustain 
them  in  their  pilgrimage. 

At  a  special  conference  April  6th  and  7th,  1847,  Elder  Snow 
was  selected  as  one  of  the  noted  143  who  constituted  the  Pioneer 
company  to  Salt  Lake  valley.  The  full  account  of  this  great 
Latter-day  exodus,  in  which  Erastus  Snow  was  a  leading  spirit, 
would  fill  a  volume.  The  patience  and  endurance  of  those 
people,  in  sickness,  privations  and  dangers  from  Indians,  were 
truly  that  of  men  and  women  whose  trust  was  in  the  living  God. 

After  three  months'  journey,  Erastus  Snow,  with  Orson  Pratt, 
emerged  from  the  canyon  overlooking  the  'Salt  Lake  valley  July 
21st,  1847.  When  they  first  beheld  the  blue  waters  of  the  great 
inland  sea,  Brother  Snow,  in  his  account,  says :  "  We  simul- 
taneously swung  our  hats  and  shouted  Hosannah !  for  the  Spirit 
told  as  here  the  Saints  should  rest."  Brother  Snow  took  an 
active  part  in  laying  out  the  city  and  building  the  Old  Fort. 
He  started  on  a  return  trip  Aug.  26th,  1847,  to  bring  on  his 
family.  On  his  arrival  at  Winter  Quarters  his  joy  was  mingled 
with  grief  over  the  death  of  a  sweet  little  daughter,  Mary 
Minerva,  who  had  died  during  his  absence.  Finding  the  Saints 
very  destitute  at  Winter  Quarters,  having  been  robbed  of  their 
homes  in  Illinois,  Elder  Snow  was  appointed  to  accompany 
Apostle  Ezra  T.  Benson  to  the  branches  of  the  Church  in  the 
Eastern  States  and  solicit  aid  from  the  Saints  and  others  to 
alleviate  the  wants  of  their  suffering  brethren  and  sisters.  Some 
received  them  kindly,  while  most  of  those  not  in  the  faith,  turned 
a  cold  shoulder  to  them.  They  were  absent  about  three  months. 
Upon  their  return  all  was  activity  in  preparing  to  cross  the 
plains  with  their  families  and  a  large  company  of  the  Saints. 
Brother  Snow  reached  the  valley  with  Presidents  Young,  Kim- 
ball  and  his  family  Sept.  20th,  1848 
15 


226  PROPHETS   ANDPATRIARCHS. 

On  Feb.  12th,  1849,  following,  Erastus  Snow  was  called  and 
ordained  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Church.  It  is  not 
unsafe  to  say  that  no  man  called  to  the  Apostleship  in  this  dis- 
pensation had  been  a  more  constant  and  efficient  laborer  in  the 
cause  from  the  time  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age  up  to  the  date 
of  his  ordination.  Following  his  ordination  he  worked  in  the 
ministry  and  labored  with  his  hands  incessantly  to  build  up  the 
country  and  strengthen  the  Saints  to  endure  their  trials. 

At  the  October  conference,  1849,  Elder  Snow  was  appointed 
to  open  the  door  of  the  Gospel  in  Scandinavia.  He  left  on  his 
mission  Oct.  19th,  1849,  and  had  an  interesting  journey  across 
the  plains,  thence  to  the  Atlantic  coast  and  across  the  ocean 
from  Boston  to  Liverpool,  where  he  landed  April  16th,  1850. 
He  visited  the  branches  in  England,  Scotland  and  Wales.  Ac- 
companiied  by  Elders  George  P.  Dykes  and  John  E.  Forsgren,  he 
set  foot  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  on  the  14th  of  June,  1850. 
Brother  P.  O.  Hansen,  a  native  of  that  city,  who  had  embraced 
the  Gospel  in  America,  conducted  them  to  a  hotel.  There  they 
knelt  down  in  solemn  prayer  and  dedicated  themselves  and  their 
mission  to  the  Lord.  The  details  of  Elder  Snow's  labors  in 
Scandinavia,  the  manifestations  of  God's  power,  his  mastery, 
by  study  and  inspiration,  of  the  Danish  language,  and  all  things 
relating  to  his  remarkable  mission,  would  make  many  chapters 
of  themselves,  and  present  to  the  honest  heart  incidents  as  re- 
markable and  impressive  as  those  attending  the  ancient  Apostles 
in  introducing  to  the  world  the  pure  plan  of  salvation.  The 
first  baptism  in  Denmark  was  performed  by  Elder  Snow,  near 
Copenhagen,  Aug.  12th,  1850.  Fifteen  were  baptized  on  that 
occasion.  The  first  branch  was  organized  Sept.  15th,  1850,  with 
fifty  members,  in  'Copenhagen.  While  on  this  mission  Elder 
Snow  wrote  a  pamphlet  in  Danish,  called  "  A  Voice  of  Truth." 
Others  were  translated  into  Danish,  and  a  most  effectual  open- 
ing was  made  in  Scandinavia.  Scores  were  baptized,  and  many 
branches  organized.  From  that  day  until  the  present  the  fruits 
of  the  Gospel  have  been  enjoyed  in  the  Scandinavian  countries. 
Thousands  have  embraced  the  Gospel  and  emigrated  to  Zion. 
They  are  among  the  most  faithful  Saints  of  the  Church,  the 
most  honorable  citizens  of  the  country,  and  best  redeemers  of 
a  barren  waste. 

Erastus  Snow  was  beloved  by  all  our  people,  but  he  is  especi- 


APOSTLE    ERASTUS  SNOW.  '227 

ally  endeared  to  the  Saints  and  their  children  who  have  come 
from  the  far  off  Scandinavian  country  of  the  north.  To  them 
his  name  is  almost  a  synonym  of  love  and  admiration.  He  was 
absent  on  this  mission  nearly  three  years.  He  arrived  in  Salt 
Lake  City  Aug.  20th,  1852.  The  following  year,  October,  1853. 
Elders  Snow  and  George  A.  Smith  were  called  to  gather  fifty 
families  to  strengthen  the  settlements  in  Iron  county,  which 
they  did  successfully.  In  1854,  Erastus  was  called  to  preside 
over  the  Church  in  St.  Louis  and  the  Western  'States.  Nov. 
14th,  1854,  he  organized  a  Stake  in  St.  Louis  and  soon  com- 
menced the  publication  of  the  St.  Louis  Luminary.  He  assisted 
in  the  emigration  of  two  thousand  Saints  in  1855,  and  returned 
home  Sept.  1st,  of  that  year.  Between  April  22d,  and  August, 
1856,  he  filled  another  mission  to  the  States,  and  later  filled 
another  in  the  East. 

Soon  after  this  he  was  called  with  Apostle  George  A. 
Smith  to  locate  other  settlements  in  Southern  Utah.  The  mis- 
sionary company  left  Salt  Lake  City  Nov.  29th,  1861,  and  from 
that  time  Brother  'Snow  made  his  home  chiefly  in  Southern 
Utah.  The  labor  of  this  great  pioneer,  wise  counselor,  constant 
worker  and  colonizer  also  extended  into  Arizona,  Mexico,  and 
other  places,  and  wherever  he  went,  either  to  preach  the  Gospel 
or  to  counsel  the  'Saints  in  practical  matters,  Erastus  Snow  has 
left  the  impression  of  a  wise  leader  and  a  great  man,  for  God 
has  made  him  such.  Brother  Snow  represented  Southern  Utah 
in  the  council  of  the  Utah  Legislature  for  many  years.  In  1873 
he  went  on  a  short  mission  to  Europe,  visiting  England  and 
Scandinavia.  After  that  time  he  was  constantly  at  work  among 
the  Saints  at  home,  traveling  throughout  the  Stakes  in  Utah. 
Idaho,  Colorado,  Arizona,  Canada  and  Mexico.  He  probably 
did  more  pioneer  work  than  any  other  Apostle  in  the  Church. 
He  was  a  true,  patriotic  American,  and  yet  during  the  anti- 
"Mormon*'  crusade  he  was  an  exile  from  home.  He  might,  with 
consistency,  ask  as  the  Savior  did  :  "Many  good  things  have 
I  done  unto  you,  and  for  which  of  these  do  ye  persecute  me?" 

Brother  Snow  was  an  active  participant  in  all  moves  looking 
to  the  material  development  of  the  country  and  the  employment 
of  the  Saints.  He  was  interested  in  the  education  of  the  youth, 
and  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Church  and  public  schools.  He 
instilled  into  his  sons  and  daughters,  by  example  and  precept. 


228  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

the  habits  of  industry,  temperance  and  economy.  He  was  kind- 
hearted  and  benevolent.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  appearance,  strong 
in  build.  Like  all  great  men,  he  had  his  peculiarities.  He  was  a 
deep  thinker,  and  at  times  so  absorbed  in  profound  thought  that 
he  took  but  little  notice  of  things  around  him.  Sometimes  when 
asked  a  question,  he  would  not  answer  it  until  the  next  day,  or 
perhaps  later  still.  Some  would  think  that  he  did  not  hear  the 
question,  but  he  seldom  failed  to  answer  it  at  a  later  time. 
Here  is  one  of  the  amusing  incidents  told  of  him :  It  was 
Saturday  afternoon.  He  sat  with  his  wife  and  others  in  a  room 
of  his  house  in  St.  George.  While  the  others  were  conversing 
he  was  intently  looking  at  the  floor  and  tapping  his  cane  OD 
the  heel  of  his  shoe.  His  wife  spoke  to  him,  saying :  "  Brother 
Snow,  will  you  preach  at  Washington  tomorrow?"  He  made 
no  answer,  and  did  not  appear  to  notice  the  question.  The  inter- 
rogation was  not  repeated  and  conversation  went  on  as  before. 
The  next  morning,  as  the  family  arose  from  their  knees  in 
prayer,  Brother  Snow  quietly  said :  "Ye's,  Minerva,  that  is 
my  intention."  At  first  they  were  a  little  bewildered,  but  sud- 
denly it  dawned  upon  them  as  the  answer  to  Sister  Snow's 
question  propounded  the  day  before. 

After  a  most  remarkable  and  fruitful  life,  fraught  with  great 
events  and  crowned  with  blessings  not  a  few,  Apostle  Erastus* 
Snow  departed  this  life  at  his  home  in  Salt  Lake  City,  May 
27th,  1888,  a  little  under  the  age  of  three  score  years  and  ten. 
He  had  said  before,  "  I  never  want  to  outlive  my  usefulness." 
and  When,  through  hardship  and  exposure,  his  body  gave  way 
to  the  blows  of  adversity,  the  Lord  took  him  to  a  field  where  he 
could  continue  his  labors  in  the  cause  of  truth.  He  was  an 
honest  man,  a  true  husband,  a  kind  father,  a  wise  counselor, 
an  efficient  pioneer  and  colonizer,  a  great  statesman,  and  in 
every  sense  of  the  word  truly  an  Apostle  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  His  name  and  his  works  will  live  forever  in  the  gener- 
ations of  the  Saints,  who  love  and  respect  him  as  their  friend 
and  counselor. 


APOSTLE  FRANKLIN  D.  RICHARDS. 

FRANKLIN  DEWEY  RICHARDS  was  born  in  Richmond,  Berk- 
shire county,  Mass.,  April  2d,  1821.  He  was  the  son  of  Phineas 
and  Wealthy  Dewey  Richards,  and  was  the  fourth-born  of  nine 
children.  Like  most  of  his  early  associates  in  the  Church, 
he  was  of  the  old  New  England  race,  who  had  distinguished 
themselves  in  the  early  settlement  of  our  country  by  toil, 
courage  and  patriotism  to  the  young  republic.  Franklin  was 
raised  on  a  farm,  and  was  by  no  means  a  stranger  to  hard 
work.  He  early  displayed  a  strong  desire  for  education,  and 
used  his  spare  time  in  seeking  for  treasures  of  knowledge.  Be- 
fore he  was  ten  years  old  he  had  perused  every  book  in  the  Sun- 
day school,  which  comprised  several  volumes,  and  at  thirteen 
he  attended  for  one  winter,  the  Lenox  Academy.  His  parents 
were  devout  Congregational ists  and  trained  their  children  in 
strict  piety.  Franklin  early  developed  strong  impress'.ons  of 
a  religious  character.  He  was  so  decided  in  his  views  that  he 
differed  with  most  of  the  people  around  him  on  scriptural  points 
of  doctrine.  Because  of  this,  he  declined  a  special  offer  made 
him  to  be  educated  for  the  sectarian  ministry. 

Elders  Brigham  and  Joseph  Young  visited  Richmond  in  1836, 
and  presented  the  restored  Gospel.  Franklin  read  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  accepted  it  as  the  truth,  and  was  baptized  June  3d, 
1838,  in  .as  native  town.  October  22d,  1838,  he  bade  adieu  to 
his  home  to  cast  his  lot  with  the  persecuted  Saints  in  Far 
West,  Missouri.  While  crossing  the  Alleghanies,  he  received 
the  sad  tidings  that  his  brother,  George  S.,  had  been  assassinated 
at  Haun's  Mill,  Mo.  Undaunted,  he  journeyed  on  to  Missouri, 
and  soon  after  his  arrival,  found  employment  along  the  Missis- 
sippi river. 

In  May,  1839,  he  first  met  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  The 
following  spring  he  was  ordained  a  Seventy,  and  went  on  a 
mission  to  Northern  Indiana.  He  was  very  successful,  and 
soon  established  a  branch  of  the  Church  in  Porter  county. 
Before  attaining  his  twentieth  anniversary  he  delivered  a  se- 


230  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

ries  of  public  lectures,  which  attracted  much  attention  and  left 
a  lasting  impression  upon  the  minds  of  those  who  heard  them. 
He  attended  the  laying  of  the  cornerstone  of  the  Temple  in 
Nauvoo,  at  the  April  conference  in  1841,  and  then  resumed 
his  labors  in  Indiana,  where  he  continued  his  missionary  work, 
though  sick  with  fever  most  of  the  time.  In  December,  1842, 
he  married  Jane  Snyder.  In  May,  1844,  he  was  ordained  a 
High  Priest,  and  started  on  a  mission  to  England,  but  hearing 
the  sad  news  of  the  martyrdom  of  Joseph  and  Hyrum  Smith,  lie 
returned  to  Nauvoo.  In  the  fore  part  of  1845  he  traveled  over 
a  thousand  miles  in  gathering  means  for  the  Nauvoo  Temple. 
After  this  he  was  called  to  be  a  scribe  in  the  office  of  the 
Church  Historian.  He  also  labored  as  a  carpenter  and  joiner 
on  the  Temple,  in  which  he  received  his  endowments,  and  subse- 
quently officiated  in  administering  the  ordinances  to  others. 

In  the  exodus  of  1846  Elder  Richards  sacrificed  his  little 
home,  built  by  his  own  hands,  and  started^  his  family  westward 
with  the  moving  Camp  of  Israel.  After  seeing  his  family 
driven  into  the  wilderness  he  turned  his  face  eastward,  and 
with  true  heroism  left  to  fulfill  his  mission  to  England.  He 
possessed  the  faith  of  the  ancient  Apostles,  for  with  meager 
clothing  and  almost  destitute  of  money,  he  made  his  way  to  the 
Atlantic  coast,  and  thence  across  the  mighty  deep  to  the  shores 
of  Europe.  Before  leaving  America  the  last  word  he  received 
from  the  exiled  Saints  was  that  his  wife  had  given  birth  to  a 
baby  boy  and  was  lying  at  the  point  of  death.  With  this  addi- 
tional trial  he  resolutely  commended  his  family  to  the  Lord,  and 
pursued  his  way  to  England.  Upon  his  arrival  in  Europe,  he 
was  appointed  to  preside  over  the  Church  in  Scotland.  Shortly 
afterward  he  became  one  of  President  Orson  Spencer's  coun- 
selors in  the  British  mission.  He  was  then  twenty-five  years 
old.  Through  the  serious  sickness  of  President  Spencer,  Elder 
Richards  sustained  the  responsibility  of  virtually  presiding 
over  the  entire  mission.  He  labored  efficiently  and  faithfully 
until  February  20th,  1848,  when  he  started  homeward,  in 
charge  of  a  large  company  of  emigrating  Saints.  During 
his  mission  he  received  the  sad  news  that  his  brother,  Joseph 
William,  had  succumbed  to  death  while  on  the  march  as  a 
member  of  the  Mormon  Battalion.  Brother  Franklin's  daugh- 
ter, Wealthy,  had  also  died  during  his  absence. 


FRANKLIN  D.  RICHARDS. 


232  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Upon  his  return  home  he  found  his  wife,  and  their  relatives 
who  had  survived  the  perils  of  the  exodus,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
This  was  the  middle  of  May,  1848.  In  June  he  went  to 
Southern  Iowa  to  buy  cattle  with  which  to  move  the  company, 
under  the  direction  of  his  uncle,  Willard  Richards,  across  the 
plains.  Tne  company  left  for  Salt  Lake  valley  July  5th, 
1848.  The  journey  was  a  most  trying  one,  as  Sister  Richards 
was  very  sick  nearly  the  entire  distance,  but  by  the  blessings  of 
the  Lord,  and  with  the  aid  of  kind,  helpful  friends,  she  sur- 
vived the  journey  and  is  today  one  of  the  presidency  of  the 
Relief  Society  throughout  the  Church.  They  reached  their 
destination,  Oct.  19th,  1848,  with  hearts  full  of  gratitude  to  God 
to  be  once  more  with  the  body  of  the  Church,  and  far  removed 
from  scenes  of  mobocracy  and  persecution. 

Elder  Richards  exchanged  his  cloak  and  other  available 
articles  of  clothing  for  building  material,  and  by  dint  cf  hard 
and  honest  labor  constructed  a  small  room,  in  which  the  family 
sojourned  during  the  winter  While  dwelling  in  this  humble 
adobe  habitation  he  was  called  to  receive  his  ordination  to 
the  Apostleship,  February  12th,  1849.  He  immediately  be- 
came associated  with  the  leading  men  of  the  community  in 
forming  the  provisional  government  of  the  State  of  Deseret,  in 
Church  work  generally,  and  was  very  active  in  establishing  the 
Perpetual  Emigration  Fund. 

In  October,  1849,  he  was  again  called  to  Europe  to  continue 
his  missionary  labors  in  a  foreign  land.  He  traveled  across 
the  continent  and  ocean  with  Apostles  John  Taylor,  Lorenzo 
and  Erastus  Snow,  and  other  Elders.  Hostile  Indians,  in- 
clement weather,  icy  streams,  etc,  went  to  make  up  an  eventful 
journey.  In  January,  1850,  they  visited  Saints  and  friends 
in  St.  Louis.  They  arrived  in  Great  Britain  in  March,  1850. 
This  was  an  eventful  year  in  the  history  of  the  Church,  so  far 
as  spreading  the  Gospel  abroad  is  concerned.  President  Taylor 
was  sent  to  open  the  door  of  salvation  to  the  French  nation ; 
Lorenzo  Snow  to  Italy ;  Erastus  Snow  to  Scandinavia ;  Orson 
Pratt  was  presiding  in  Liverpool,  but  being  called  hastily  to 
Council  Bluffs,  Brother  Franklin  was  left  to  edit  the  Millennial 
Star  and  take  charge  of  the  British  mission.  He  founded 
the  Perpetual  Emigration  Fund  in  England  on  a  solid  basis, 
and  labored  efficiently  in  every  department.  Apostle  Pratt 


APOSTLE    FRANKLIN   D.    RICHARDS.  233 

returned  to  England,  when  Elder  Richards  became  his  assist- 
ant, and  upon  the  release  of  Elder  Pratt  in  1851,  Brother 
Richards  became  President  of  the  British  mission.  With 
energy  and  great  zeal  he  and  his  fellow-laborers  spread  the 
Gospel  throughout  the  British  Isles.  He  increased  the  labors 
in  the  Liverpool  office  very  materially.  In  a  short  time  he 
revised  and  published  a  25,000  edition  of  the  Hymn  Book,  a 
new  edition  of  P.  P.  Pratt's  Voice  of  Warning,  stereotyped 
the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  prepared  and  published  the  Pearl 
of  Great  Price,  and  paid  an  interesting  visit  to  Elder  Taylor  in 
France.  From  1850  to  1852,  about  16,000  souls  had  been 
added  to  the  Church  by  baptism  in  the  British  mission.  He 
started  to  Zion  the  first  company  of  Saints  that  sailed  from 
Europe  under  the  regulations  of  the  Perpetual  Emigration 
Fund,  with  Apostle  Erastus  Snow,  and  arranged  for  the  or- 
ganization of  a  company  to  manufacture  iron  in  Utah. 

Soon  after  his  return  he  was  agalin  elected  to  the  legislature 
and  resumed  his  labors  as  a  lawmaker.  Early  in  1853  he 
participated  in  the  dedication  of  the  grounds  and  laying  the 
cornerstone  of  the  Temple  in  Salt  Lake  City.  In  July  of  that 
year  he  went  to  Iron  county  to  establish  iron  works,  but  the 
project,  under  existing  conditions,  was  impracticable.  While 
there,  Gov.  Young  and  Lieut.-Gen.  Wells  issued  military  orders, 
owing  to  Indian  hostilities.  Brother  Richards  labored  faith- 
fully in  gathering  in  the  outposts,  changing  the  site  of  Cedar 
City,  and  preparing  the  people  to  resist  the  aggressions  of 
the  Indians.  Returning  to  Salt  Lake  City,  he  was  just  in  time 
to  witness  the  decease  of  his  mother.  He  went  back  to  Iron 
county  in  October,  1853,  and  labored  there  until  called  to  his 
legislative  work  in  the  winter. 

While  in  Salt  Lake  City  he  was  notified  to  prepare  again 
for  the  British  mission.  Before  leaving,  he  dedicated  his 
home,  property  and  all  he  possessed  to  the  Lord.  He  reached 
England,  June  4th,  1854,  and  immediately  assumed  the  respon- 
sibilities of  the  mission.  His  letter  of  appointment  from  the 
Presidency  implied  the  amalgamation  of  all  the  European  mis- 
sions under  one  head,  as  it  authorized  him  "to  preside  over  all 
the  conferences  and  all  the  affairs  of  the  Church  in  the  British 
Isles  and  adjacent  countries."  While  presiding  in  Europe 
he  visited  the  continent,  promoting  the  interests  of  the  Gospel 


234  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

of  peace  and  harmony  among  the  people.  It  was  during  this 
mission  that  Brother  Richards  baptized  that  noble  man,  who 
has  done  so  much  for  Zion,  especially  the  youth,  in  religious 
and  secular  education — Dr.  Karl  G.  Maeser.  In  1855  he  se- 
cured for  the  growing  necessities  of  the  mission  the  premises 
now  widely  known  as  42  Islington,  which  have  been  occupied 
from  that  time  to  the  present  as  the  miission  headquarters.  In 
October,  1855,  under  President  Richards'  personal  direction, 
the  Saxon  Mission  was  established  in  Dresden,  and  has  yielded 
many  intelligent  converts  to  the  faith.  He  was  constant  in 
his  travels,  and  it  was  also  within  his  province  to  direct  the 
branches  in  the  East  Indies,  Africa,  Australia  and  other  parts, 
which  required  the  concentration  of  every  energy  with  an 
eye  ever  single  to  the  glory  of  God. 

Brother  Franklin  was  probably  better  informed  on  every 
detail  of  foreign  miissions  than  any  other  man.  Previous  to  his 
leaving  for  home  the  presidents  of  conf  ere  aces  met  in  London 
and  paid  to  him  a  glowing  tribute  of  respect  and  esteem.  Octo- 
ber 4th,  1856,  he  once  more  reached  his  mountain  home.  He 
again  became  a  member  of  the  Utah  Legislature,  and  was  re- 
elected  a  regent  of  the  Deseret  University.  April  20th,  1857. 
he  was  elected  and  commissioned  brigadier-general  of  the  second 
brigade  of  infantry  of  the  Nauvoo  Legion  During  the  John- 
ston army  troubles  he  was  engaged  with  a  detachment  from 
his  brigade  to  support  Gen.  Wells  in  Echo  Canyon.  With 
others,  he  left  his  property  to  be  committed  to  the  flames  in 
case  the  army  persisted  in  driving  the  Saiints  from  their  homes 
and  despoiling  them  of  their  property.  July  21st,  1859,  he 
began  a  political  tour  in  Southern  Utah  to  arrange  for  the  elec- 
tion of  a  delegate  to  Congress. 

Upon  his  return  to  Salt  Lake  City  he  was  appointed,  with 
President  John  Taylor,  to  meet  two  companties  of  emigrants, 
many  of  whom  were  old  -and  endeared  associates  of  these  two 
Apostles.  During  the  seven  years  following,  he  labored  chiefly 
among  the  Saints.  His  labors  were  varied  and  multifarious, 
combining  the  work  of  ecclesiastic,  politics,  mill  building  and 
agriculture.  He  was  never  idle,  but  was  the  embodiment  of 
industry  with  hand  and  brain. 

July  29th,  1866,  he  was  again  called  on  a.  mission  to 
Europe ;  was  on  the  way  two  weeks,  reached  Liverpool  Sep- 


APOSTLE   FRANKLIN   D.    RICHARDS.  235 

tember  llth,  I860,  and  immediately  commenced  a  tour  of  the 
conferences,  including  that  of  Scandinavia  and  several  on  the 
continent.  In  July,  186G,  he  again  became  President  of  the 
entire  mission.  He  had  a  splendid  corps  of  Elders  to  labor  in 
the  vanious  fields,  and  the  year  following,  Great  Britain  alone 
furnished  over  3,400  souls  for  baptism  into  the  Church,  and  in 
about  the  same  time  more  than  3,000  Saints  emigrated  to  Utah. 
Up  to  this  time  sailing  vessels  were  used  for  transporting  the 
Saints  to  America,  'but  President  Richards,  looking  to  the  future, 
deemed  these  inadequate,  and  changed  to  the  steamship. 

This  was  Brother  Richards'  last  foreign  mission.  He  crossed 
the  ocean  eight  times,  and  spent  much  of  his  life  in  the  ministry 
abroad.  Under  his  supervision,  the  Lord  directing  him,  many 
thousands  of  souls  had  embraced  the  Gospel,  and  a  much 
greater  number  gathered  to  Zion.  His  missionary  zeal 
had  not  abated,  but  his  wise  counsels  were  needed  at  home 
with  the  body  of  the  Church.  A  new  experience  in  his  labors 
now  came  to  him.  In  February,  18G9,  he  was  elected  probate 
judge  of  Weber  county.  He  occupied  this  position  for  fourteen 
years.  He  served  with  great  ability  and  wisdom,  making 
friends  on  every  hand.  He  was  famiiliarly  called  by  business 
and  political  men,  "Judge  Richards."  He  had  many  warm 
friends  among  the  non-"Mormon"  population  of  the  community. 
Ogden  City  and  Weber  county  are  recognized  as  next  in  im- 
portance to  Salt  Lake  City  and  county,  and  much  of  the 
growth  and  progress  of  Weber  is  due  to  the  potent  influence  of 
Brother  Richards.  Up  to  1869,  Ogden  had  no  newspaper. 
Elder  Richards  established,  and  for  some  time  edited,  the 
Ogden  Junction,  which  subsequently  took  the  title  of  the  Ogden 
Herald,  and  finally  the  Ogden  Standard,  under  changes  of 
management. 

Elder  Richards  did  much  to  improve  the  schools  of  Weber 
county.  He  organized  societies  which  preceded  the  Mutual 
Improvement  Associations,  and  originated  a  plan  by  which 
the  youth  of  Weber  county,  without  cost,  could  hear  the  most 
talented  lecturers  of  Utah  on  scientific  and  other  subjects. 
He1  taught  the  people  by  pretext  and  example,  how  to  avoid  the 
influence  of  the  mixed  population  so  rapidly  gathering  into 
Ogden  City,  and  how  to  make  home  pleasant  and  attractive. 
During  his  administration  of  fourteen  years  as  probate  judge, 


236  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

no  decision  of  his  was  ever  reversed  by  a  higher  tribunal. 
Hundreds  of  cases  of  divorce,  land  estates  and  land  suits  were 
brought  before  him.  He  adjudicated  the  land  titles  of  Hunts- 
ville,  North  Ogden  and  Plain  City.  None  of  these  arrange- 
ments were  ever  set  aside  by  any  court.  Besides  these,  he 
had  many  criminal  cases  to  try,  the  decision  in  none  of  which 
was  ever  reversed.  His  administration  financially  was  also  a 
great  success.  Roads  and  bridges  were  built,  and  the  only 
toll  road  in  the  county,  the  one  through  Ogden  canyon,  was 
purchased  and  made  free.  His  position  had  no  salary  attached 
•to  it,  yet  he  labored  with  unselfish  devotion  for  the  county  and 
people. 

During  this  time  Elder  Richards  continued  a  member  of  the 
legislature,  and  traveled,  preached  and  counseled  throughout 
the  territory.  He  assisted  President  Young  in  organizing  nearly 
all  the  Stakes  of  Zion.  Near  the  close  of  his  official  career,  Con- 
gress passed  a  law  known  as  the  "Hoar  Amendment,"  which 
authorized  the  governor  to  fill  vacancies  caused  by  failure  to 
elect  officers  at  the  August  election  of  1882.  By  claim  of 
authority  from  this  act,  Gov.  Murray  appointed  James  N. 
Kimball  probate  judge  of  Weber  county.  Judge  Richards 
denied  that  there  was  a  vacancy,  and  Mr.  Kimball  instituted  a 
mandamus  suit  to  compel  a  relinquishment  of  the  office  and 
records  to  him.  The  district  court  decided  in  favor  of  Mr. 
Kimball.  Judge  Richards  appealed  to  the  supreme  court  of 
the  Territory,  which  affirmed  the  lower  court.  He  then  ap- 
pealed to  the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  where  it 
rested  until  the  time  of  Mr.  Kimball's  appointed  term  had 
run  out.  This  was  a  test  case,  and  if  it  had  not  been  contested 
with  determination,  the  governor's  appointees  would  have  dis- 
placed the  officers  elected  by  the  people  and  thus  given  the  polit- 
ical control  into  the  hands  of  the  non-"Mormon,"  or  Liberal 
party. 

Many  years  Apostle  Richards  was  Church  Historian  and 
general  Church  Recorder.  This  position  he  filled  with  his  usual 
ability  and  devotion  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  much 
interested  in  work  for  the  dead  and  had  accomplished  as  much, 
perhaps,  in  this  line  as  any  other  man  except  President  Wood- 
ruff. He  took  great  interest  in  the  Genealogical  Society  of 
Utah,  and  sought  to  interest  others. 


APOSTLE  FRANKLIN   D.   RICHARDS.  237 

When  President  Lorenzo  Snow  became  President  of  the 
Church,  Brother  Richards  succeeded  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
Twelve  Apostles,  and  occupied  that  place  until  he  departed  this 
life.  He  was  endeared  to  all  his  associates  and  all  the  Saints, 
and  many  not  of  our  faith,  because  of  his  kind,  affable  manner. 
During  the  later  years  of  his  life  his  time  was  chiefly  occu- 
pied in  the  office  of  Historian,  but  he  visited  many  of  the 
stakes  and  was  faithfully  industrious  to  the  last.  In  the 
fall  of  1899  he  became  enfeebled  through  paralysis,  and  after 
an  illness  of  several  weeks  accompanied  by  brief  spells  of 
improvement,  he  passed  quietly  into  the  spirit  land  at  12 :14 
Saturday  morning,  December  9th,  1899,  at  his  home  in  Ogden 
City. 

President  Richards  was  noted  for  the  kindness  of  his  heart, 
the  gentleness  of  his  manners,  and  his  constant,  unceasing 
devotion  to  the  work  of  God.  While  he  has  gone  to  the  un- 
seen world,  he  still  lives  by  the  great  labors  of  his  life,  which 
will  be  perpetuated  in  the  love  and  memory  of  the  Saints 
throughout  all  generations.  His  funeral  was  held  at  the  Ogden 
Tabernacle,  December  12th,  1899,  and  was  attended  by  a  host 
of  Saints.  His  remains  were  laiid  quietly  to  rest  in  the 
Ogden  cemetery.  President  Snow,  his  counselors,  and  Elder 
Brigham  Young  and  others  spoke  at  his  funeral  in  terms  of 
highest  esteem.  Among  the  glowing  tributes  of  respect  to  the 
character  and  faith  of  President  Richards,  President  Joseph  F. 
Smith  saiid,  that  he  had  seen  him  under  such  trying  ordeals 
as  few  could  endure,  and  under  which  President  Richards  had 
shown  the  patient  submission,  faith  and  devotion  of  Job,  when 
he  exclaimed,  "Though  He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him." 
The  industry,  integrity,  faiith,  purity  and  devotion  of  Franklin 
D.  Richards  will  serve  as  a  beacon  light  to  all  generations  who 
shall  read  his  history,  who  will  bless  his  memory  and  praise 
God,  who  sent  him  to  perform  his  part  in  the  great  dispensation 
of  the  fullness  of  times. 


APOSTLE  BRIGHAM  YOUNG,  JR. 

BJREGHAM  YOUNG,  JR.,  a  son  of  the  late  President  Brighain 
Young  and  Ann  Angell  Young,  was  born  in  Kirtland,  Geauga 
county,  Ohio,  December  13th,  1836.  With  his  parents  he  re- 
moved to  Missouri,  and  thence  to  Nauvoo,  Illinois.  In  these 
States,  though  in  childhood,  he  learned  something  of  the  hard- 
ships of  persecution,  and  they  have  never  been  effaced  from 
his  memory.  His  father,  as  is  well  known,  was  one  of  the 
first  and  great  Apostles  cf  the  Church.  His  mother,  too,  was 
a  noble  type  of  womanhood,  and  a  true,  devoted,  Latter-Jay 
Saint.  While  in  poverty,  and  her  husband  on  a  mission  to 
Great  Britain,  Elder  Lorenzo  Snow  called  upon  Sister  Young 
on  the  eve  of  his  departure  to  fill  a  mission  to  Europe.  He 
asked  her  what  news  from  home  he  should  convey  to  her  hus- 
band. She  answered,  "Tell  him  we  are  about  as  well  as  other 
people,  and  though  in  stralitened  circumstances,  temporarily 
speaking,  we  don't  want  to  see  him  home  until  he  has  com- 
pleted a  good  mission  and  has  been  honorably  released."  Be- 
fore their  children,  the  Church  and  the  world,  this  example 
of  endurance  and  devotion  to  God  and  His  cause,  the  parents 
of  Apostle  Brigham  Young  set  all  the  days  of  their  lives. 

Brigham  Young,  Jr.,  was  baptized  by  his  father  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  at  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  when  eight  years  of  age.  He 
was  exiled,  with  his  father  and  family,  from  their  home  in 
Nauvoo  in  1846.  With  his  mother,  he  remained  in  Winter 
Quarters  until  1848,  when  they  journeyed  across  the  plains  and 
reached  Salt  Lake  valley  in  September  of  that  year.  Brigham 
was  then  only  twelve  years  cf  age,  but  he  at  once  performed 
good  service  as  a  herd  boy  and  worked  in  the  canyon  and  at 
other  manual  labor.  He  was  likewise  a  "minute  man,"  keeping 
watch  against  the  encroachment  of  hostile  Indians.  In  this 
latter  capacity  he  participated  in  several  dangerous  expedi- 
tions. November  15th,  1855,  he  took  to  wife  Sister  Catherine 
Curtis  Spencer,  a  daughter  of  Orson  Spencer.  At  the  ap- 
proach of  Johnston's  army  he  did  able  work  as  a  scout,  suffer- 


BKIGHAM   YOUNG,   JR, 


240  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

ing  many  hardships  while  in  the  mountains,  from  inclement 
weather  and  over-exertion  in  his  duties.  When  one  of  the 
hand-cart  companies  crossing  the  plains  was  in  distress,  Brother 
Brigham  went  with  a  relief  party,  and  suffered  such  exposure 
and  hardships  that  he  was  attacked  with  inflammatory  rheu- 
matism, from  which  he  has  suffered  at  various  times  ever 
since.  At  the  April  conference  in  1861  he  became  a  member 
of  the  Salt  Lake  Stake  High  Council.  In  1862  he  went  East 
with  Utah's  delegate  to  Congress,  Dr.  J.  M.  Bernhisel.  While 
in  New  York  City  he  received  a  letter  from  his  father  requesting 
him  to  proceed  as  a  missionary  to  Europe.  He'  promptly 
complied,  and  sailed  for  Liverpool,  where  he  arrived  July  26th. 
1862.  His  labors  were,  principally  in  London,  with  Elder 
William  C.  Staines.  He  also  visited  Scandinavia  and  other 
parts  of  Europe.  He  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  his  return 
home,  September  1st,  1863.  In  1864  he  was  again  called  to 
Europe,  this  time  to  associate  with  President  Daniel  H.  Wells 
in  the  Presidency  of  the  European  mission.  Accompanied  by 
his  wife,  Catherine,  he  reached  Liverpool,  July  25th,  1864.  He 
then  labored  in  company  with  President  Wells,  looking  after  the 
interests  of  the  mission  in  all  departments  until  August.  1865. 
when  he  succeeded  President  Wells  as  the  President  of  the 
mission.  During  his  administration  he  traveled  extensively 
through  the  conferences  upon  the  British  Isles,  and  several 
times  visited  the  continent,  giving  personal  attention  to  the 
interests  of  the  Church  in  Denmark,  Sweden,  Norway,  Switzer- 
land, France  and  Russia.  By  request  of  his  father,  he  returned 
home  on  a  visit,  sailing  from  Liverpool,  September  19th,  1865. 
Apostle  Orson  Pratt  taking  charge  of  the  mission. 

A  peculiar  incident  occurred  while  crossing  the  Alantir* 
ocean.  A  terrible  storm  arose,  threatening  to  sink  the  vessel. 
A  portion  of  the  rigging  was  torn  down  by  the  wind,  and  one 
man  was  washed  overboard.  A  burly  Irishman,  who  was  called 
a  religious  fanatic,  attributed  the  cause  of  the  storm  to  the 
fact  that  a  "Jonah"  was  aboard  the  ship  in  the  shape  of  a 
"Mormon"  Elder.  The  Irishman  made  a  persistent  demand 
on  the  captain  that  Elder  Young  be  cast  into  the  sea.  He 
was  so  boisterous  and  persistent  that  at  last  the  captain  had 
to  interfere  and  compel  the  Irishman  to  hold  his  peace. . 

After  a  very  rough  journey  by  sea  and   land,   Elder  Youn? 


APOSTLE   BRIGHAM    YOUNG,    JR.  241 

reached  home,  October  25th,  1865.  In  the  spring  of  I860  he  re- 
turned to  Europe,  resumed  the  responsibilities  of  the  mission, 
and  continued  his  labors  until  he  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  his 
return  home,  June  20th,  1867.  While  absent  he  visited  the 
World's  Fair  at  Paris,  France.  Returning  home,  he  left  the 
mission  under  the  presidency  of  Apostle  Franklin  D.  Richards. 
While  on  his  mission  two  of  his  children  were  born  in  England, 
Mabel  and  Joseph.  The  following  year  Elder  Brigham  Young 
and  his  brother,  Joseph  A.,  acted  as  agents  in  sub-contracting  for 
their  father,  who  had  contracted  to  grade  a  large  section  of  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad.  Brother  Young  was  also  prominent 
in  the  Nauvoo  Legion  as  a  military  man  until  its  disorganization 
in  1870.  In  that  capacity  he  displayed  considerable  talent, 
and  did  efficient  service  in  the  annual  drills  of  the  territorial 
militia. 

Elder  Young  had  been  ordained  to  the  Apostleship,  and  was 
set  apart  as  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  October  9th,  1868. 
From  that  time  to  the  present  his  chief  and  almost  entire 
labors  have  been  directly  in  the  duties  of  his  Apostleship.  Sub- 
sequent to  the  decease  of  Apostle  Ezra  T.  Benson  he  was  called 
by  President  Young  to  preside  over  the  affairs  of  the  Church 
in  Cache  valley.  For  this  purpose  he  removed  to  Logan  city 
and  presided  in  Cache  valley  until  the  Stake  was  organized  in 
1877.  At  the  annual  conference  held  in  April,  1873,  Apostle 
Young  was  chosen  one  of  the  assistant  five  Counselors  to 
President  Brigham  Young,  which  place  he  filled  until  after  his 
father's  death,  in  1877.  During  that  period  he  spent  much  of 
his  time  in  St.  George,  looking  after  the  interests  of  the  Church 
in  Southern  Utah.  After  his  father's  demise,  he  was  appointed 
one  of  the  administrators  of  the  estate,  in  settling  the  affairs 
of  which  he  showed  a  just  and  amicable  disposition,  which 
elicited  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  Saints,  as  well  as  of 
his  father's  family.  For  refusing  to  deliver  certain  Church 
property  into  the  hands  of  the  receiver,  W.  S.  McOornick,  he 
and  President  John  Taylor,  George  Q.  Cannon  and  Albert 
Carrington  were  adjudged  guilty  of  contempt  by  Judge  Bore- 
man.  Aug.  4th,  Apostle  Young,  with  the  two  last-named 
brethren,  was  sent  to  the  penitentiary,  where  they  remained 
until  August  28th,  when  they  were  liberated,  the  decision  of 

16 


242  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Judge  Boreman  having  been  reversed  by  the  supreme  court  of 
the  Territory. 

In  1881  Apostle  Young  went  to  Arizona,  where  he  spent  one 
jear,  returning  in  time  to  wait  upon  his  noble  mother  in  her 
dying  moments.  She  departed  this  life  at  her  home  in  Salt 
Lake  City,  June  27th,  1882.  Among  the  many  positions  of 
honor  and  trust  held  by  Apostle  Young,  and  always  held  with 
integrity,  he  has  served  several  terms  in  the  territorial  legisla- 
ture. He  has  been  East  on  several  visits  in  the  interests  of 
the  Church,  as  well  as  doing  considerable  missionary  labor 
abroad.  In  more  recent  years  his  labors  have  been  chiefly  in  the 
Stakes  of  Zion,  quite  extensively  in  Mexico,  Arizona,  New 
Mexico  and  Colorado,  as  well  as  Utah,  laboring  zealously  with 
his  brethren,  the  Twelve,  in  the  many  duties  and  responsibilities 
of  their  high  calling.  While  visiting  the  Yaqui  Indians  in 
Mexico,  lie  was  stricken  with  yellow  fever  and  brought  nigh 
unto  death,  but  was  healed  by  the  power  of  God.  During  the 
anti-"Mormon"  crusade  in  Utah  and  surrounding  territories, 
Apostle  Young  suffered,  with  many  of  his  brethren,  as  an  exile 
from  home.  In  1890  to  1892  he  presided  over  the  European 
mission.  He  labored  with  zeal  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel, 
possessing  the  love  and  confidence  of  the  Elders  throughout 
the  mission.  He  returned  home  in  the  spring  of  1893,  in  time 
to  take  an  active  part  in  the  dedication  of  the  Temple  of  the 
Lord  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Since  then  he  has  traveled  exten- 
sively among  the  (Stakes  of  Zion,  assisting  to  regulate  the 
affairs  of  the  Church,  and  has  been  prominent  in  the  councils 
of  the  Presidency  and  Apostleshlp. 

Apostle  Young  is  a  sociable,  unassuming,  humble  and  pleas- 
ant man,  and  from  the  nature  of  his  disposition  is  most  beloved 
and  appreciated  by  those  who  know  him  best.  As  a  fitting 
conclusion  of  this  brief  and  incomplete  sketch  of  his  life,  we 
subjoin  the  following  quotation  from  the  gifted  pen  of  Sister 
Susa  Young  Gates,  his  beloved  and  devoted  sister  : 

"Brigham  Young  is  a  noble  representative  of  his  father's 
family.  His  gentle  wisdom,  his  merry  heart  and  his  integrity 
and  truth  are  known  to  all  the  Saints.  No  matter  what  may 
be  his  troubles,  he  does  not  impose  them  upon  his  friends.  He 
has  naught  but  contempt  for  all  forms  of  hypocrisy  or  deceit. 
His  own  life  and  soul  is  a  clear,  open  book,  and  he  would  not 


APOSTLE   BRIGHAM   YOUNG,   JR.  243 

gain  the  whole  world  were  it  to  be  secured  through  policy  or 
subterfuge.  A  wide  stream  of  bubbling  gaiety  flows  through 
much  of  his  life.  All  who  know  him,  even  in  the  least,  are 
well  aware  of  this  trait  in  his  character.  Yet,  well  as  he  love's 
a  joke,  he  cannot  tolerate  anything  savoring  of  irreverence  or 
mockery.  His  wrath  is  rare,  but  so  much  the  more  to  be 
dreaded.  Woe  to  the  doer  or  speaker  of  anything  which  might 
savor  of  the  betrayal  of  the  Priesthood  when  Brigham  Young 
is  nigh !  One  of  his  most  notable  traits  is  an  innate  modesty, 
which  is  almost  extreme  when  he  estimates  his  own  worth  and 
character.  Ask  him  for  the  facts  of  his  life  and  he  will  inno- 
cently ignore  that  you  are  asking  about  himself,  and  will  give 
you  leaf  after  leaf  from  the  life  of  his  beloved  father  or  others 
of  his  friends  and  associates.  He  must  be  often  reminded 
that  it  is  his  life  that  you  are  seeking  to  know  about.  He  will 
assure  you  that  he  is  the  least  worthy  of  his  exalted  position 
of  any  of  his  quorum,  and  your  silent  comment  thereon  is,  'He 
that  is  least  among  you,  the  same  shall  be  greatest.'  Today 
Apostle  Young  has  the  same  genial  tone  of  voice,  the  same 
youthful  spirit  and  the  same  quiet  wisdom  that  have  been  so 
prominent  in  his  character  from  boyhood.  Those  who  know 
him  best  honor  and  revere  him  most.  May  his  useful  life  be 
prolonged  many  years  upon  the  earth." 

Apostle  Brigham  Young  was  unanimously  sustained  by  the 
council  of  the  Apostles,  as  President  of  that  body,  Thursday, 
Oct.  17,  1901,  and  set  apart  the  same  day  by  President  Joseph 
P.  Smith,  assisted  by  the  Apostles  and  Patriarch  John  Smith. 


APOSTLE  FRANCIS  M.  LYMAN. 

That  worthy  Apostle  of  the  Host,  FRANCIS  MARION  LYMAN, 
was  born  in  Goodhope,  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  Jan.  12th, 
1840.  He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Amasa  Mason  Lyman  and 
Louisa  Maria  Tanner  Lyman,  both  of  the  early  Puritan  stock. 
The  time  of  his  birth  witnessed  the  days  of  tribulation  to  the 
Saints  of  God.  They  had  been  driven  from  Jackson,  Clay  and 
Caldwell  counties,  Missouri,  and  were  taking  refuge  in  Illinois. 
In  the  spring  of  1840,  Brother  Lyman's  family  moved  into 
Iowa,  thence  to  Nauvoo,  in  1841.  From  there,  in  1843,  they 
moved  to  Alquina,  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  where  they  re- 
mained until  after  the  martyrdom  of  the  Prophet  and  the 
Patriarch  of  the  Church  in  1844,  when  they  returned  to  Nau- 
voo. Elder  Lyman  is  probably  the  youngest  man  living  who 
remembers  having  seen  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  who 
also  received  administrations  in  the  Nauvoo  Temple,  for  in  that 
sacred  building  he  was  sealed  to  his  parents  by  Presidents 
Young  and  Kimball  in  1846. 

In  June,  1846,  he,  with  his  mother  and  three  other  children, 
in  charge  of  his  mother's  father,  John  Tanner,  journeyed  west 
to  Winter  Quarters,  his  father  having  gone  with  the  pioneers 
from  Nauvoo.  On  July  1st,  1848,  being  a  little  over  8  years 
old,  Brother  Lyman  was  baptized  by  his  father  in  the  Elkhorn 
river,  and  confirmed  by  him.  Notwithstanding  his  tender 
years,  on  their  journey  to  Salt  Lake  valley,  young  Lyman  drove 
a  yoke  of  cattle,  arriving  there  October  9th,  1848.  During 
•the  next  three  years  he  occupied  his  time  in  such  labor  and 
diversions  as  were  the  lot  of  Pioneer  children  in  those  days. 
The  opportunities  for  education  were  meager,  but  such  as  they 
were,  Francis  Marion  received  the  benefit.  His  father  and 
Elder  C.  C.  Rich  having  been  called  on  a  mission  to  California 
to  establish  a  temporary  home  and  outfitting  post  there  for 
the  Saints,  the  family  removed  to  California  in  1851.  On  the 
way  young  Lyman  performed  a  man's  duty  in  driving  loose 
stock,  etc.,  the  entire  distance.  For  several  years  he  was  em- 


FRANCIS  M.   LYMAN. 


246  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

ployed  in  looking  after  cattle  and  freighting  between  San 
Bernardino  and  Salt  Lake  City,  making  in  that  time  sixteen 
trips  across  the  desert  between  California  and  Utah.  His 
winter  months  were  spent  in  San  Bernardino,  obtaining  such 
education  as  the  schools  afforded.  With  Thomas  W.  Whittaker 
he  worked  about  eighteen  months  at  the  joiner's  trade.  His 
father  and  Elder  C.  C.  Rich  purchased  the  'San  Bernardino 
ranch. 

In  April,  1853,  Francis  'Marion  was  a  witness  to  the  laying 
of  the  cornerstone  of  the  Temple  in  Salt  Lake  City.  In  1857, 
he  was  selected  as  a  missionary  to  Europe,  but  the  advent  of 
Johnston's  army  deferred  his  mission  for  the  time  being, 
alhough  he  went  as  far  as  Salt  Lake  City  on  his  way  to  Great 
Britain.  There  it  was  deemed  wisdom  for  him  to  return  to  the 
coast  and  move  his  father's  family  into  Utah.  All  missionaries 
and  colonizing  Saints  abroad  were  called  home  then. 

In  1856,  Brother  Lyman  was  ordained  an  Elder  by  his 
father,  and  May  1st,  1860,  he  started  on  his  mission  to  Europe. 
While  his  public  life  in  the  ministry  really  began  at  this  time, 
he  had  filled  the  colonization  mission  with  his  father  in  San 
BeTnardino.  In  1858,  he  explored,  with  the  elder  Lyman,  the 
Colorado  river  in  Utah.  He  was  ordained  a  Seventy  in  Farm- 
ington,  Utah,  (where  he  had  moved  to  cultivate  his  father's 
farm),  on  January  7th,  1860. 

On  November  18th,  1851,  he  was  united  in  marriage  -to 
Rhoda  Ann  Taylor,  who,  with  her  mother  and  family,  had 
received  the  Gospel  in  Australia,  through  the  labors  of  Elder 
Wm.  Hyde  and  others. 

Before  leaving  for  England,  Elder  Lyman  moved  his  family, 
consisting  of  a  wife  and  one  child,  to  Beaver,  Utah,  where  he 
built  for  them  a  log  cabin.  While  en  the  way  to  Europe  he 
visited  Kirtland,  and  was  shown  through  the  Temple  by  Martin 
Harris,  one  of  the  three  witnesses  to  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Since  that  time  he  has  visited  the  sacred  edifice  several  times, 
as  he  takes  profound  interest  and  satisfaction  in  visiting  places 
of  note  relating  to  the  early  scenes  and  history  of  the  Church. 
He  sailed  for  Liverpool  from  New  York,  July  14th,  on  the 
steamship  Edinburgh,  and  landed  in  that  city  July  27th,  1860. 

At  this  juncture,  let  us  quote  a  paragraph  of  his  life,  written 
for  the  Juvenile  Instructor,  by  Elder  Edward  H.  Anderson : 


APOSTLE   FRAWCIS  M.   LYMAN.  247 

"Let  us  ask  the  boys  and  girls  to  look  back  over  the  life  of  this 
boy  of  twenty  years  and  see  what  he  had  accomplished.  What 
an  astonishing  record  of  activity  and  work !  Frontiersman  at 
birth  and  babyhood  ;  pioneer  and  teamster  at  eight ;  herdsman 
and  cowboy  at  eleven ;  learning  a  trade  at  thirteen ;  plowing 
the  trackless  desert  at  sixteen ;  married  at  seventeen ;  exploring 
the  gorges  and  wilds  of  the  Colorado  at  eighteen;  a  Seventy  and 
a  missionary  at  twenty ;  with  farming,  attending  school, 
presiding  over  improvement  associations,  building  the  log  cabin 
of  the  pioneer,  as  incidents  thrown  here  and  there  in  between." 
What  an  example  of  industry,  labor,  faith  and  devotion, 
worthy  of  following  by  every  human  being! 

In  1862,  Elder  Lyrnan  was  released  from  his  mission,  and 
started  for  home  May  13th,  with  a  company  of  over  800  Saints. 
They  were  forty-two  days  on  the  ocean,  and  it  was  October 
16th  when  he  reached  his  home  in  Beaver,  Utah.  In  1863,  he 
moved  to  Fillmore,  where  he  resided  fourteen  years.  In  that 
time  he  held  the  positions  of  assistant  assessor  of  United  States 
internal  revenue,  member  of  the  Utah  legislature  from  Millard 
county,  prosecuting  attorney,  county  superintendent  of  schools, 
county  clerk  and  recorder,  and  other  places  of  trust,  to  which 
he  was  chosen  by  the  people.  He  was  also  ordained  a  High 
Priest  and  served  as  a  High  Counselor.  On  October  16th, 
1873,  he  started  on  a  second  mission  to  Great  Britain.  He  not 
only  labored  as  a  missionary  in  England,  but  made  tours  of 
Scotland,  Wales,  Germany,  Denmark,  France  and  Switzerland, 
and  was  very  successful.  On  his  return,  in  1875,  he  was  ac- 
companied by  300  Saints. 

In  April,  1877,  Elder  Lyman  attended  the  dedication  of  the 
St.  George  Temple.  When  the  Tooele  Stake  was  organized, 
June  24th,  1877,  he  was  placed  to  preside  over  it.  For  the 
next  three  years  he  was  at  the  head  of  affairs  in  that  county, 
religiously  and  politically.  The  so-called  "Liberals"  had 
obtained  control  previously,  and  by  dishonest  extravagance,  had 
spent  in  four  years  the  revenue  of  five.  President  Lyman 
having  been  elected  county  recorder  and  representative  to  the 
legislature  from  the  county,  set  his  mind  at  once  to  the  dis- 
lodging from  power  of  the  incompetent  and  plundering  officials, 
and  with  his  determination  and  persistent  qualities,  he  never 
relaxed  his  energies  until  the  good  work  had  been  accomplished. 


248  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

In  1878,  the  Utah  legislature  passed  a  law  which  required  the 
registration  of  votes ;  this  meant  the  dissolution  of  the  so-called 
"Tooele  Republic,"  because  it  afforded  means  for  the  people  to 
regain  the  control  of  the'r  cwn  affairs,  which  had  been  wrested 
from  them.  In  August,  1878,  all  the  candidates  of  the  "People's 
Party"  were  elected  by  a  safe  majority.  The  "Liberal"  officials 
refused  to  count  the  votes  cast,  and  by  fraudulent  procedure 
declared  the  candidates  of  the  "People's  Party"  not  elected.  Hon. 
F.  M.  Lyman  filed  notice  of  contest  and  carried  it  to  the 
supreme  court,  which  issued  a  preemptory  order  requiring  the 
officers  to  count  the  ballots  and  declare  the  correct  result  of 
the  election.  This  action  placed  the  candidates  of  the  "People's 
Party"  in  office,  and  by  economy  and  watchfulness  the  county 
was  redeemed  from  the  debt  incurred  by  the  corrupt  officials. 
Elder  Lyman,  in  this  experience,  as  in  others,  proved  himself 
to  be  a  terror  to  evil-doers. 

While  on  a  tour  in  Southern  Utah,  Arizona  and  New  Mexico, 
Elder  Lyman  was  called  at  the  general  conference  in  October, 
1880,  to  be  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  Elder  John  Henry 
Smith  was  called  at  the  same  time.  Brother  Lyman  was 
ordained  to  the  Apostleship  October  27th,  1880,  by  President 
John  Taylor.  From  that  day  until  the  present,  his  whole  time 
and  energies  have  been  devoted  to  the  duties  of  that  office.  No 
Apostle  travels  more  among  the  Stakes  of  Zion  and  reaches 
more  of  the  settlements  of  the  Saints  than  does  Apostle"  Lyman. 
He  is  incessant  in  his  work  by  day  and  by  night.  Since  his 
call  to  the  Apostleship  he  has  performed  an  important  mission 
among  the  Indians  of  Uintah  and  Uncompahgre  reservations, 
one  mission  in  California,  (accompanied  by  Elder  B.  H. 
Roberts),. one  in  the  Southern  States  with  'Elder  Matthias  F. 
Cowley,  as  his  traveling  companion,  and  on  April  19th,  1901, 
left  on  his  third  mission  to  Great  Britain  to  preside  over  the 
European  missions  of  the  Church.  It  was  on  November  17th, 
1883,  when  he  was  called  by  President  John  Taylor  to  fill  his 
Indian  mission.  Before  leaving  he  asked  President  Taylor  how 
to  proceed.  He  was  answered  that  Brother  Lyman  was  entitled 
to  know  the  will  of  the  Lord  and  would  be  guided  aright.  While 
at  Currant  Creek,  on  the  way  to  the  Reservation,  Brother 
Lyman  came  to  a  hill,  1,000  feet  above  the  table-land  in  that 
vicinity.  While  climbing  the  steep  his  thoughts  were  upon  the 


APOSTLE   FRANCIS   M.    LYMAN.  249 

difficulty  of  his  mission;  he  had  no  knowledge  of  hew  to  pro- 
ceed. If  he  asked  the  agents,  he  might  be  refused  the  privilege 
of  presenting  the  Gospel  to  the  Indians,  as  other  missionaries 
had  been.  While  thus  in  troubled  thought,  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  impressed  him  to  go  to  the  summit  of  the  hill.  When  he 
reached  the  top  he  discovered  a  large  flat  rock,  upon  which  he 
stepped,  removed  his  hat,  and  fell  upon  his  knees  in  prayer  to 
God,  with  his  face  toward  the  East.  He  says :  "I  went  before 
the  Lord  and  told  Him  all  my  troubles  ;  how  everything  seemed 
against  us,  and  how  little  I  knew  about  the  work  ;  how  I  had 
learned  that  the  agents  at  Uintah  and  Ouray  were  bitterly 
opposed  to  the  "Mormons"  and  their  doctrines,  and  then  asked 
for  the  successful  opening  of  the  mission  to  the  Lamanites  in 
that  region,  and  that  God  might  guide  me  aright  and  soften 
the  hearts  of  the  agents  with  a  favor  towards  us  and  our 
cause." 

Before  he  knelt  to  pray  the  atmosphere  was  perfectly  calm, 
but  suddenly  a  wind  began  blowing  amounting  in  force  almost 
to  a  tempest  and  lasted  during  the  half  hour  he  was  engaged  in 
prayer.  Wlien  his  supplications  were  over,  the  wind  suddenly 
ceased  to  blow  and  all  was  calm  and  serene.  As  he  arose  and 
left  his  place  of  prayer,  the  quiet  yet  unmistakable  testimony  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  rested  upon  him,  and  he  felt  to  go  straightfor- 
ward with  his  work,  visit  the  agents  and  all  would  be  well. 
Subsequently  this  testimony  of  the  Spirit  was  verified  in  a 
remarkable  manner,  for  the  agents  and  Indians  received  him 
well  and  an  effectual  door  for  doing  good  among  them  was 
opened  wide.  But  before  the  fulfillment  of  this  prophetic  con- 
viction, as  the  wind  had  howled  around  him  while  engaged  in 
prayer,  so  he  personally  had  to  pass  through  well-nigh  the 
ordeal  of  death.  The  event  is  described  by  Elder  Edward  H. 
Anderson  as  follows : 

"On  the  morning  of  the  12th  (May)  the  camp  was  up  early 
and  it  appeared  that  all  the  difficulties  which  had  so  far  sur- 
rounded them  were  at  length  overcome.  He  was  sitting  on  a 
camp-stool  just  before  breakfast,  and  reached  over  to  take  up 
a  fry -pan  of  meat,  when  he  was  suddenly  seized  with  a  threat- 
ened rupture  of  the  lower  bowels  and  the  most  excruciating 
pain  that  could  be  imagined  in  his  left  side.  It  felt  as  though 
there  had  been  some  internal  rupture  and  was  so  severe  and 


250  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

agonizing  that  all  hopes  of  his  recovery  were  given  up.  The 
company  had  no  medicines  of  any  kind.  One  cf  the  brethren 
preferred  to  send  fifty  miles  away  for  a  doctor  but  Brother 
Lyman  forbade  him  saying  that  he  could  not  last  until  the 
arrival  of  a  physician.  It  was  suggested  that  he  be  taken  back, 
but  it  was  impossible  to  move  him,  the  pain  was  so  intense. 
For  two  hours  he  remained  in  such  terrible  agony  that  cold 
sweat  stood  out  in  great  beads  upon  his  body.  During  this 
time,  he  says,  every  good  act  of  his  life  passed  before  him,  and 
strange  to  say,  not  an  evil  thing  that  he  had  done  came  to  his 
mind — nothing  but  good.  He  saw  himself  carried  home  dead 
and  beheld  the  consternation  of  his  family  at  his  death  and 
what  had  overtaken  him.  During  all  this  time,  strange  to  say, 
neither  he  nor  his  companions  (although  they  had  done  every- 
thing to  alleviate  his  sufferings)  had  thought  of  the  ordinance 
of  laying  on  of  hands.  'It  never  once  entered  my  mind,'  he  said, 
'nor  did  the  brethren  think  of  it.'  At  the  close  of  that  time 
one  of  the  brethren  suggested  administering  to  him,  which  was 
accordingly  done.  No  sooner  were  the  hands  of  the  brethren 
lifted  from  his  head  than  the  pain  left  him  as  suddenly  as  it 
came.  He  became  perfectly  free,  and  had  thus  been  healed  by 
the  power  of  God.  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  by  the  Elders. 
'Then,'  he  says,  'I  thought  how  good  it  is  to  be  only  free  from 
pain !  It  is  the  greatest  heaven  of  all.  And  yet  the  most  of 
our  lives  we  are  free,  but  scarcely  appreciate  it.  He  fell  into 
a  sweet  sleep  and  in  a  comparatively  short  time  was  able  to 
proceed  on  the  journey." 

The  adversary  was  thus  overcome  by  the  power  of  God.  They 
reached  their  destination,  and  were  received  with  kindness  by 
the  Lamanites  and  the  agents,  J.  J.  Crichlow  of  Uintah  and 
J.  F.  Minness  of  Ouray.  The  Gospel  was  freely  taught  and 
the  Book  of  Mormon  introduced  among  them  by  Elder  Lyman 
and  his  associates.  Elder  Nephi,  surnamed  Lehi  by  Apostle 
Lyman,  Chief  Tabby  and  other  Ute  chiefs  also  preached  and 
bore  testimony  (being  faithful  Latter-day  Saints),  and  many 
others  were  converted  to  the  truth. 

In  the  winter  of  1893-'94,  Apostle  Lyman,  accompanied  by 
Elder  B.  H.  Roberts,  performed  a  good  mission  in  Southern 
California,  visiting  some  of  his  father's  family  and  other  rela- 
tives, who  had  recently  moved  there.  In  the  winter  of  1897-'9S, 


APOSTLE   FRANCIS   M.    LYMAN.  251 

he  and  Elder  M.  F.  Cowley  visited  each  conference  of  the 
Southern  States  mission,  held  a  two  days'  meeting  with  the 
general  public  and  one-  day  of  Priesthood  meeting  with  the 
Elders  in  each  conference.  His  counsels,  admonitions  and  in- 
structions, often  couched  in  quaint  sayings,  will  ever  be  remem- 
bered by  the  Elders  then  laboring  in  the  Southern  States. 

Apostle  L/yman  is  one  of  the  most  active  workers  in  the 
Church.  He  is  never  idle.  He  keeps  a  daily  journal,  in  all 
probability  the  most  complete  in  detail  of  any  private  journal 
in  the  Church.  When  he  goes  to  the  sphere  beyond,  he  pro- 
poses to  place  his  journals  in  the  archives  of  the  Church  for 
the  benefit  thereof.  He  writes  it  up  daily,  never  getting  be- 
hind. In  keeping  a  journal,  which  every  active  Elder  and  some 
of  the  sisters  ought  to  do,  Elder  Lyman's  example  and  method 
may  wrell  be  followed  with  profit.  He  is  very  practical  in  word 
and  deed,  and  his  teachings  are  always  seasoned  with  the 
influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Owing  to  his  marked  ability,  he 
is  often  referred  to  as  "the  teacher"  in  his  quorum  He  is  pre- 
eminently a  peacemaker.  When  difficulties  exist  where  the 
general  authorities  are  requested  to  participate  in  their  settle- 
ment, Brother  Lyman,  if  within  reach,  is  frequently  selected 
to  adjudicate  the  trouble.  He  is  firm,  yet  kind,  never  betraying 
petty  anger  or  a  sense  of  affronted  dignity  because  of  opposition 
to  his  efforts  to  make  peace. 

As  in  the  case  of  his  Indian  mission,  Elder  Lyrnan  usually 
"sets  no  stakes,"  but  depends  upon  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  for  guidance  to  meet  the  emergency,  and  never  fails  to 
be  impressed  about  right.  His  "off-hand"  answers  to  questions 
and  his  quaint  sayings,  always  containing  a  good  thought, 
would  make  a  volume,  pleasing  and  instructive.  He  is  also 
apt  in  his  replies  to  questions ;  for  instance,  he  wTas  asked,  before 
a  public  audience  in  the  opera  house  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  by  an 
impertinent  fellow,  if  the  "Mormons"  did  not  still  believe  in 
plural  marriage,  only  discontinuing  it  because  of  a  compulsory 
law,  and  if  that  law  was  repealed  would  they  not  restore  the 
practice  of  it?  Apostle  Lyman  cooly  replied  :  "When  you  get 
the  law  repealed  will  be  time  enough  to  answer  your  question." 
During  the  Tooele  troubles  an  over-inquisitive  person  wrote, 
and  among  other  queries,  asked  him,  "Who  is  the  largest  sheep 


252  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

owner  in  Tooele  county?"  He  answered,  "I  am.  I  weigh  280 
pounds.  Other  questions  answered  on  receipt  of  $2.00." 

Brother  Lyman  looks  upon  death  with  the  utmost  freedom 
from  concern.  His  experience  while  filling  his  Indian  mission 
doubtless  makes  him  a  personal  witness  that  to  the  faithful 
"death  is  sweet  and  the  grave  has  no  victory."  The 'writer  of 
this  little  sketch  was  favored,  a  few  weeks  after  his  call  to  the 
Apostleship,  with  being  in  Elder  Lyman's  company  day  and 
night  for  four  months,  and  will  never  forget  the  lessons  taught 
by  him  through  example  and  precept. 

Apostle  Lyman  is  now  past  the  age  of  sixty-one,  is  of  well 
preserved  body  and  sound  mind,  full  of  endurance  and  activity. 
He  stands  over  six  feet  high,  weighs  250  pounds  and  is  unbur- 
dened with  surplus  flesh.  His  life  of  usefulness,  his  constant 
labors,  his  marked  ability,  his  title  by  merit  to  the  inspiration 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  all  endear  him  to  the  faints  and  make  us 
fondly  hope  that  he  shall  live  for  many  happy  years. 

In  concluding  this  imperfect  sketch,  let  us  repeat  the  counsel 
of  Apostle  Lyman,  which  he  gave  to  the  readers  of  the  Juvenile 
Instructor :  "Boys  and  girls,  be  pure  in  thought  and  actions ; 
do  nothing  that  will  make  you  feel  ashamed  to  face  any  good 
person  in  the  world.  This  course  will  make  you  free  and 
happy.  There  is  no  other  bondage  so  heavy  as  the  bondage  of 
sin,  no  other  freedom  so  delightful  as  the  freedom  of  innocence 
and  purity.  C4uard  your  good  name  and  your  happiness  by 
determining  to  be  free  from  sin ;  protect  your  innocence  by 
thinking  pure  thoughts ;  shield  your  purity  by  noble  actions." 


APOSTLE  JOHN  HENRY  SMITH. 

JOHN  HENRY  SMITH  is  the  son  of  the  late  President  George 
A.  Smith  and  his  wife  Sarah  Ann  Libby,  and  was  born  at 
Carbunce,  Pottawattamie  county,  Iowa,  September  18th,  1848. 
When  asked  in  later  years  by  an  acquaintance  where  he 
was  born,  he  answered,  "In  the  garden  spot  of  the  world." 
So  great  was  his  admiration  for  the  rich  lands  of  his  native 
state  that  he  esteemed  it  worthy  of  that  title. 

The  time  of  his  birth  was  that  period  of  trial  incident  to  the 
exile  from  Nauvco,  and  the  pilgrimage  of  the  Saints  from 
Illinois  to  the  valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  His  father  had 
gone  to  the  valley  with  President  Brigham  Young  in  the 
Pioneer  band  of  143,  and  shortly  therafter  had  returned  to 
Winter  Quarters,  on  the  Missouri  river,  to  assist  in  gathering 
the  Saints  and  to  remove  his  family  to  Salt  Lake  valley.  In 
the  summer  of  1849  George  A.  Smith  started  across  the  plains 
with  his  family.  When  they  reached  their  destination  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  year  old.  In  less  than  two 
years  from  the  time  of  their  arrival  his  mother  died,  leaving 
John  Henry  as  their  only  child.  He  was  immediately  taken 
by  his  aunt,  Hannah  M.  Libby  Smith,  also  a  wife  of  his  father, 
and  under  her  kind  watchcare  was  reared  to  manhood  with 
all  the  tenderness  bestowed  upon  her  own  son.  She  also  had 
a  son,  Charles  Warren,  but  a  few  months  the  junior  of  John 
Henry.  The  two  were  reared  together,  and  as  they  grew  in 
years  they  became  more  and  more  endeared  to  each  other, 
becoming  to  each  other  as  David  and  Jonathan.  Although  in 
later  years  conditions  have  thrown  them  apart,  the  attachment 
of  early  youth  remains  bright  and  untarnished. 

The  family  of  George  A.  Smith  being  called  to  colonize 
different  places,  became  very  much  scattered,  some  residing 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  some  in  Provo  and  others  in  Parowan,  and 
George  A.'s  many  public  duties  rendered  it  impossible  to  devote 
much  personal  attention  to  his  family.  For  this  reason 
Brother  John  Henry  feels  that  much  of  his  success  in  life  is 
due  to  the  careful  training  afforded  him  by  his  devoted  aunt 


254  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

and  step-mother.  In  1852  his  aunt  removed  to  Provo,  and 
in  that  city  he  spent  his  early  boyhood  days.  In  expressing 
his  heartfelt  sentiments  of  respect  for  the  noble  mother  who 
reared  him,  he  but  corroborates  the  heartfelt  testimony  of 
thousands  whose  great  attainments  in  life  are  largely  due  to  the 
example  and  teachings  of  a  loving  and  devoted  mother. 

Like  many  other  Pioneer  boys  of  Utah,  John  Henry's  occupa- 
tion consisted  of  herding  stock.  This  he  did  on  the  Provo 
bench  and  along  the  shores  of  the  Uta^  lake.  He  is  of  large 
staure,  full  of  life  and  merriment,  and  always  esteemed  by  his 
associates  as  the  very  embodiment  of  good  nature. 

During  the  Indian  troubles  which  occurred  in  Utah  county 
in  its  early  history,  John  Henry,  though  very  young,  partici- 
pated, and  on  one  occasion  was  shot  at,  but  escaped  unharmed. 
On  another  occasion,  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  came 
near  drowning  in  the  Provo  river,  but  the  eye  of  the  Lord 
was  upon  him.  His  mission  was  to  live  and  labor  for  man's 
salvation.  He  was  saved  in  a  most  marvelous  manner.  In 
company  with  Thomas  and  Geo.  M.  Brown,  he  attempted  to 
cross  the  river  in  a  small  boat.  This  was  June  8th,  1862, 
when  the  water  was  high  and  the  current  swift.  The  boat 
was  capsized,  and  while  the  other  boys  made  safely  to  shore, 
John  Henry  became  entangled  in  some  driftwood  and  disap- 
peared below  the  surface  of  the  stream.  He  was  under  water 
so  long  that  his  comrades  on  the  bank  lost  hope  of  his  being 
saved  from  drowning,  when,  all  of  a  sudden,  with  no  apparent 
effort,  he  was  lifted  to  the  bank  of  the  stream  and  rescued. 
Soon  after  this  occurred  it  was  learned  that  his  father,  who 
was  at  the  time  in  'Salt  Lake  City,  felt  impressed  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  that  his  son,  John  Henry,  was  in  peril  of  his 
life.  He  therefore,  in  prayer  and  supplication,  sought  the 
Lord  to  save  the  boy,  and  his  prayer  was  immediately  answered 
in  the  manner  described  above. 

The  facilites  for  education  in  those  days  were  meager  com- 
pared with  the  present,  but  the  best  that  could  be  had  was 
placed  wjithin  the  reach  of  Brother  John  Hentry,  and  he 
improved  his  time  as  opportunity  would  permit.  Among  the 
numerous  incidents  of  boyhood  days  which  strongly  impressed 
the  young  man  with  a  strong,  earnest  desire  to  live  a  righteous 
life  and  be  useful  was  a  patriarchal  blessing  given  him  by 
his  grandfather,  John  Smith,  the  Patriarch  to  the  Church. 


JOHN  HENRY  SMITH. 


256  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

In  this  prophetic  blessing  the  young  man's  life  was  foretold. 
It  painted  out  to  him  glorious  attainments  on  condition,  as  all 
blessings  are,  of  his  devotion  to  the  truth  and  his  industry 
in  keeping  the  commandments  of  God.  This  blessing  was  vver 
before  him,  an  anchor  to  his  soul  in  time  of  trouble,  and  a 
motive  power  of  action  under  every  condition  of  life.  While 
still  a  youth,  he  called  upon  that  distinguished  man  and 
ever  constant  friend  of  the  Latter-day  Saints,  Col.  Thomas  L. 
Kane.  Col.  Kane,  who  knew  the  early  leaders  of  the  Church, 
and  who  understood  the  sufferings  through  which  the  Saints 
had  passed  for  pure  principle,  looked  John  Henry  square  in 
the  face,  <and  said  in  a  most  impressive  way,  "Young  man, 
I  trust  that  you  will  ever  remember  that  the  best  blood  of 
the  nineteenth  century  flows  in  your  veins."  This  was  too 
impressive  to  be  forgotten,  being  an  appeal  to  fidelitiy,  not  only 
to  his  own  kin,  but  to  the  nobility  which  is  born  in  love 
and  unswerving  integrity  to  the  truth,  which  so  thoroughly 
characterized  all  the  faithful  founders  of  God's  work  and 
the  commonwealth  of  Utah,  that  their  descendants  forever 
should  be  loyal  to  their  names  and  memory,  and  to  the  great 
cause  for  which  they  lived  and  died. 

John  Henry  was  wedded  at  the  early  age  of  eighteen,  receiv- 
ing in  marriage  Sarah,  an  estimable  daughter  of  Elder  Loren 
Farr,  of  Ogden  City,  Utah,  who  has  proved  to  be  a  true  and 
devoted  companion  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  Brother  Smith 
made  his  home  in  Provo,  beting  employed  as  a  telegraph 
operator,  and  ecclesiastically,  occupying  the  place  of  Counselor 
to  Bishop  W.  A.  Follett,  of  the  Fourth  Ward  of  that  city. 
Just  prior  to  the  completion  of  the  Union  and  Central  Pacific 
railways,  he  left  Provo  and  engaged  with  Messrs.  Benson, 
Farr  and  West  in  grading  about  two  miles  of  the  Central 
Pacific.  Subsequently  Gov.  Leland  Stanford,  of  California, 
offered  him  a  lucrative  position  in  Sacramento.  This  he 
declined,  his  father  desiring  him  to  return  to  labor  with  him 
in  Salt  Lake  City  and  elsewhere. 

During  his  early  manhood  days  John  Henry  accompanied 
his  father,  with  President  Brigham  Young  and  party,  in  their 
visits  to  the  several  settlements  of  the  Saints.  This  brought 
to  him  the  society  of  the  grandest  men  on  earth.  He  studied 
their  characters,  observed  them  closely,  and  sought  to  discover 


APOSTLE  JOHN    HENRY   SMITH.  257 

the  secret  of  the  great  qualites  which  adorned  them.  His  own 
nobility  and  magnanimity  of  heart  and  mind  proves  that  the 
example  of  his  father  and  other  good  men  were  not  placed 
before  him  in  vain.  He  profited  greatly  by  these  opportunities. 

In  1872  he  was  assistant  clerk  in  the  house  of  representatives 
in  the  Utah  Legislature  and  held  the  same  position  in  the 
constitutional  convention  in  1872.  In  May,  1874,  he  was 
called  to  fill  his  first  mission  in  Europe,  and  was  set  apart  for 
that  purpose  by  President  John  Taylor.  He  started  on  June 
29th  and  reached  New  York  July  4th  ;  but  before  sailing  for 
Europe  he  visited  his  mother's  brothers  in  New  Hampshire. 
He  reached  Liverpool  July  26th,  and  was  soon  assigned  his 
field  of  labor  in  the  Birmingham  conference,  under  the  presi- 
dency of  Elder  R.  V.  Morris.  His  kinsman,  President  Joseph 
F.  Smith,  presided  over  the  mission,  and  with  him,  Elder  F. 
M.  Lyman  and  other  Elders,  made  a  tour  of  the  mission,  visit- 
ing most  of  the  British  conferences,  as  well  as  Denmark,  Ger- 
many, Switzerland  and  France. 

Owing  to  his  father's  sickness,  Elder  Smith  was  called  home 
one  year  after  his  arrival  in  England,  reaching  the  beside  of  his 
noble  parent  fifteen  days  before  his  decease,  which  occurred 
September  1st,  1875.  The  improvement  'attained  by  Elder 
Smith  in  the  important  matter  of  preaching  the  Gospel  during 
this  short  mission,  was  so  pronounced  that  younger  men  looked 
(upon  him  with  wonder  and  admiration,  feeling  that  only 
God  could  so  inspire  humble  and  unlettered  men  to  speak 
with  the  power  and  inspiration  which  accompanied  the  remarks 
and  testimonies  of  Elder  John  Henry  Smith.  November  22d, 
1875,  he  was  called  by  President  Young  and  ordained  Bishop 
of  the  Seventeenth  Ward,  Salt  Lake  City.  This  position 
he  filled  with  marked  ability,  receiving  the  love  and  confidence 
of  all  the  Saints  in  the  Ward.  While  acting  as  Bishop  he 
worked  for  a  livelihood  in  the  freight  department  of  the 
Utah  Central  railway,  keeping  accounts  and  handling  funds, 
which  work  he  did  with  accuracy  and  honesty  of  the  strictest 
character. 

At  the  October  conference  of  1880,  Bishop  John  Henry 
Smith,  with  President  Lyman,  of  the  Tooele  Stake,  was  called 
to  the  quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  In  1839  his  father 
and  President  Wilford  Woodruff  were  ordained  to  the  Apostle- 
17 


258  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIAKCHS. 

ship  at  Far  West,  Mo.  They  two  being  associated  together, 
the  desire  entered  Brother  Smith's  heart  to  have  President 
Woodruff,  then  President  of  the  Twelve,  ordain  him.  Silently 
he  offered  a  prayer  that  such  might  be  the  case,  and  he  would 
take  it  as  a  testimony  that  his  call  was  from  the  Lord. 
Elders  Lyman  and  Smith  were  ordained  to  the  Apostleship 
October  27th,  1880.  President  Taylor  ordained  Elder  Lyman 
and  then  called  on  President  Woodruff  to  ordain  Elder  Smith. 
No  one  but  John  Henry  Smith  knew  his  heart's  desire,  and 
yet  it  was  answered  by  the  Lord  in  prompting  President  John 
Taylor,  the  Prophet  of  the  Lord,  to  so  arrange  it.  This  was 
all  the  more  remarkable  because  of  the  custom  that  when 
one  is  ordained  to  the  Apostleship  the  President  of  the  Church 
officiates,  and  when  two  or  more,  his  First  Counselor  next, 
and  then  his  Second  Counselor;  not  that  this  is  a  law,  but 
the  usual  practice.  In  this  instance,  however,  it  was  de- 
parted from  in  answer  to  the  silent  prayer. 

,Since  his  call  to  the  Apostleship,  Eldier  Smith's  labor's 
therein  have  been  incessant,  preaching  at  home  and  abroad, 
and  performing  other  labors,  always  in  the  interest  of  the 
Church  and  humanity  at  large.  Three  successive  times  he 
has  been  to  Washington,  D.  C.,  to  assist  in  allaying  prejudice, 
staving  off  inimical  legislation,  which  was  inspired  by  false 
reports  and  misrepresentation,  and  in  urging  statehood  for 
Utah.  The  first  time  he  went  in  company  with  Apostle  Mcses 
Thatcher,  and  subsequently  with  other  brethren.  In  October, 
1882,  he  was  called  to  preside  over  the  European  mission.  He 
was  absent  twenty-nine  months,  looking  with  deep  and  impartial 
interest  to  all  conferences  and  departments  of  the  mission. 
His  genial,  loving  interest  in  all  the  Elders  and  Saints  won  for 
him  their  love,  confidence  and  respect.  In  the  meantime  prose- 
cutions under  the  nefarious  Edmunds-Tucker  act  were  being 
vigorously  urged.  Upon  his  return  he  was  arrested  for  the 
prevailing  charge — "unlawful  cohabitation,"  but  discharged  for 
lack  of  evidence.  In  1876  he  was  elected  to  the  city  council  of 
Salt  Lake  City,  and  served  with  credit  to  the  people  for  six  suc- 
cessive years.  In  1881  and  1882  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Utah  legislature,  in  whose  deliberations  he  took  an  active 
part,  and  when  the  State  constitutional  convention  convened, 
which  framed  the  constitution  upon  which  Utah  was  admitted 


APOSTLE  JOHN   HENRY   SMITH.  259 

into  the  Union  as  a  sovereign  State,  Apostle  John  Henry  Smith 
presided  over  that  important  assembly.  He  takes  an  active 
interest  in  the  civil  government  of  his  State  and  country,  as 
a  truly  patriotic  and  full-fledged  American,  not  in  name  only, 
but  in  the  deepest  sincerity  of  spirit.  His  progenitors  on  both 
sides  of  the  house  have  been  native-born  Americans  for  many 
generations,  and  all  the  patriotic  qualities  which  distinguished 
them  are  reflected  with  honor  in  Apostle  John  Henry  Smith. 

In  the  spring  of  1899  he,  accompanied  by  Elder  Matthias 
F.  Cowley,  attended  a  conference  of  the  presidents  of  the 
Southern  States  Mission,  held  in  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  May,  1899. 
While  there  they  preached  in  the  Opera  House  and  were  fa- 
vcrably  reported  by  Mr.  Adler  in  the  Chattanooga  Times. 
They  visited  the  old  Chickamauga  battle  ground,  the  National 
cemetery,  and  from  the  summit  of  Lookout  Mountain  beheld 
the  battlefields  where  thousands  of  human  beings  laid  down 
their  lives  in  sanguinary  strife.  Several  times  he  has  been 
a  delegate  from  Utah  to  the  Trans-Mississippi  Congress.  From 
one  which  he  attended,  held  in  Houston,  Tex.,  in  1900,  with 
President  George  Q.  Cannon,  he  paid  a  visit  to  the  City  of 
Mexico.  He  was  much  impressed  with  what  he  witnessed 
in  the  neighboring  republic. 

Among  the  many  events  of  Providence  which  have  favored 
the  life  of  Apostle  Smith  and  enabled  his  mission  of  salvation 
to  be  more  complete  to  the  living  and  the  dead,  is  a  well-pre- 
pared genealogy  of  his  mother's  kin,  the  Libby  family,  con- 
taining on  his  mother's  side  the  names  of  thousands  of  their 
progenitors  who  have  lived  and  died,  and  many  who  now  live, 
but  who  have  not  heard  and  embraced  the  Gospel.  His  rela- 
tive who  prepared  this  important  record  said  to  him  in  sub- 
stance one  day,  "John,  while  preparing  that  work  I  could  not 
rest  day  or  night,  I  was  so  intensely  interested,  searching  tne 
musty  town  records  of  the  past,  the  names  and  tombstones, 
anything  and  everything  to  get  light  on  the  subject.  Now 
it  is  done,  I  have  no  particular  interest  in  it ;  the  dry  facts  of 
births,  marriages,  deaths,  and  places — of  what  value  are  they, 
and  especially  to  anyone  outside  the  family?"  The  author  of 
the  book  knew  not  that  Gcd  inspired  him  to  the  work,  but  the 
Lord's  humble  Apostle,  John  Henry  Smith,  was  aware  of  what 


260  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

it  all  meant,  and  thanks  the  Father  for  this  volume  of  names 
so  sacred  to  himself  and  family. 

In  June,  1901,  accompanied  by  President  A.  W.  Ivins  of  the 
Juarez  Stake,  Counselor  Eyering  and  Ammon  Tenney,  he  paid 
a  visit  to  the  City  of  Mexico  as  representative  of  the  Mexican 
Colonization  Company.  Their  business  brought  them  into  the 
society  of  Minister  Fernandez,  of  Fomasito,  and  Jose  Ives  Le 
Mantour.  The  relations  at  first  were  strained,  but  resulted 
satisfactorily.  They  also  enjoyed  a  most  pleasant  interview 
with  President  Diaz,  in  whose  commendation  as  a  great-minded 
and  large-hearted  man  Bro.  Smith  takes  great  delight. 

Apostle  Smith  is  now  (1901)  in  his  fifty-third  year,  hale  and 
hearty,  ever  active  in  the  ministry  and  interested  in  his  country. 
He  is  loving  and  genial  to  all  around  him,  frank  and  open  in 
his  character,  easy  to  understand,  a  worthy  example  for  all  to 
follow.  To  know  him  is  to  love  him.  His  disposition  is  a 
happy  one,  his  character  and  record  without  blemish.  He 
is  generous  in  his  feelings  for  ethers,  is  not  jealous  or  envious, 
but  quick  to  recognize  and  appreciate  the  good  qualities  and  tal- 
ents of  others ;  he  is  broad-minded  in  his  ideas,  just,  merciful 
and  kind  in  all  his  administrations.  May  he  live  yet  many 
years  to  benefit  and  bless  mankind,  especially  the  Saints  of  God 


APOSTLE  GEORGE  TEASDALE. 

GEORGE  TEASDALE  was  born  December  8th,  1831,  in  London, 
England.  He  was  the  son  of  Wm.  Russell  Teasdale  and  Har- 
riet H.  Lidey  Teasdale.  His  mother  was  a  devout  member  of 
the  Church  of  England,  and  although  their  son  George'  early 
developed  strong  religious  traits,  he  was  not  favorably  impressed 
with  the  doctrines  taught  by  that  organization.  Independently 
he  studied  the  scriptures,  unbiased  with  preference  for  any  sect 
more  than  another  and  untainted  with  the  fallacious  interpre- 
tations placed  upon  Bible  truth  by  the  man-made  ministers  of 
Sectarianism.  In  this  unsullied  frame  of  mind,  with  clean 
hands  and  a  pure  heart,  George  Teasdale  received,  direct  from 
heaven,  impressions  which  prepared  his  heart  and  mind  to 
embrace  the  Gospel  of  Christ  in  its  purity  when  presented  to 
him  at  the  age  cf  twenty  years. 

In  matters  of  education,  Brother  Teasdale  was  not  so  amply 
provided  with  means  and  opportunities  as  many  young  men  of 
his  time  in  the  great  city  of  London,  but  his  sober,  studious 
disposition  led  him  to  search  for  knowledge  from  every  availa- 
ble source,  and  from  the  public  schools  and  the  University  of 
London  he  obtained  the  best  education  of  which  his  time  and 
circumstances  would  admit.  Subsequently  he  studied  archi- 
tecture and  surveying,  but  owing  to  the  dishonest  character  of 
his  tutor  he  soon  dissolved  his  relationship  with  the  office.  After 
this  he  learned  the  upholstering  trade. 

In  the  year  1851,  he  first  learned  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  The  information  came  through 
an  anti-"Mormon"  tract  published  by  the  Church  of  England 
Tract  Society,  entitled,  "Mormonism."  At  that  time,  in  this 
neighborhood,  prejudice  ran  high,  and  the  only  reference  to  the 
Latter-day  Saints  which  people  usually  heard  came  from  their 
avowed  enemies,  who  drew  their  information  from  unreliable 
newspaper  accounts  and  apostate  literature,  garbling  and  mis- 
representing the  truth.  Under  these  circumstances  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  young  man,  like  most  of  the  people  unen- 


262  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

lightened  with  the  facts,  should  be  more  or  less  biased  against 
the  Saints;  but  when  he  heard  the  Gospel  and  felt  the  Spirit 
which  accompanied  the  simple  honest  testimony  of  its  advo- 
cates, his  heart  being  honest  and  his  mind  free  to  receive  the 
light,  he  acknowledged  the  truth  and  soon  became  one  of  its 
most  ardent  advocates.  And  let  me  here  remind  the  reader 
that  when  a  man  hears  the  truth  and  learns  that  a  people  are 
better  than  he  previously  believed  from  false  reports,  and  that 
their  doctrine  is  not  assailable  with  truth,  if  that  man  be 
honest  and  upright  he  will  rejoice  in  the  information  received 
and  glorify  God ;  whereas,  if  he  is  angry  because  the  light  shows 
that  he  was  mistaken,  it  is  because  he  himself  is  not  an  honest, 
upright  man,  but  one  "who  loves  darkness  rather  than  light," 
because  his  "deeds  are  evil."  Shortly  after  reading  the  anti- 
"Mormon"  tract,  a  man  belonging  to  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  came  to  work  in  the  establishment  in  which  Brother 
Teasdale  was  employed ;  this  man  was  uneducated,  but  firm 
and  emphatic  in  bearing  testimony  of  the  truth  to  his  fellow 
workmen.  He  showed  plainly  by  his  manner  that  he  enter- 
tained no  doubt  of  his  religion.  His  associates  ridiculed  and 
made  light  of  his  teachings,  but  undaunted,  he  testified  that 
he  knew  the  Gospel  to  be  true  and  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a 
Prophet  of  the  living  God.  His  testimony  was  so  impressive 
that  the  prejudice  in  Brother  Teasdale's  mind  was  largely 
dissipated.  He  immediately  began  to  investigate,  the  result  of 
which  was  that  he  embraced  the  Gospel  in  all  its  fullness.  While 
investigating,  his  acquaintances  and  friends  bitterly  opposed 
him ;  they  threatened  him  with  ostracism  and  scorn,  but  he  was 
not  to  be  daunted,  for  one  of  the  striking  traits  in  his  character 
is  that  when  convinced  that  anything  is  right  he  cannot  be 
turned  from  his  purpose.  Regardless,  therefore,  of  ridicule  and 
abuse,  he  rendered  obedience  and  was  baptized  August  8th, 
1852.  The  birth  of  the  Spirit  came  with  his  confirmation.  He 
was  filled  with  zeal.  His  love  for  the  truth  and  his  fellow  men 
led  him  to  act  upon  the  injunction,  "Let  him  that  is  warned, 
warn  his  neighbor."  Because  the  truth  was  so  clear  to  his  own 
mind,  he  thought  others  could  readily  be  convinced  of  it.  With 
this  pure  zeal  and  love  burning  in  his  bosom,  he  testified  on 
every  hand  of  the  restored  Gospel.  He  soon  learned  by  ex- 
perience, however,  that  "men  love  darkness  rather  than  light 


GEORGE  TEASDALE. 


264  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

because  their  deeds  are  evil,"  and  few  gave  heed  to  his  humble 
efforts. 

Brother  Teasdale  was  soon  ordained  a  Priest,  subsequently 
an  Elder,  and  did  much  in  missionary  labor.  The  Elders  from 
Zion,  who  in  those  days  visited  London,  never  forgot  the  im- 
pression of  honest  integrity,  devoted  zeal  and  unselfish  love  for 
the  Saints  and  the  truth  manifested  by  the  young  Elder,  then 
commencing  his  future,  life-long  and  eternal  labors  in  the  min- 
istry of  God  for  the  redemption  of  the  human  family.  Although 
well  educated,  of  a  sensitive  nature  and  a  dignified  bearing,  he 
was  also  humble.  His  feeling  was  that  he  would  rather  be 
a  doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  than  possess  all  the 
honors  of  men  and  dwell  in  the  luxurious  ease  of  human 
wealth.  He  had  little  time  to  study,  and  being  not  naturally 
a  speaker,  he  felt  somewhat  embarrassed  in  trying  to  speak. 
He  learned  at  once  that  he  must  enjoy  a  higher  power  than  his 
own  natural  or  acquired  endowments — he  must  enjoy  the  Holy 
Spirit.  He  labored  hard  to  succeed  in  speaking,  but  for  some 
time  obtained  no  satisfaction.  He  says  his  earliest  efforts  were 
a  total  failure.  He  persisted,  however,  being  faithful  in  work, 
devoted  and  sincere  in  prayer,  until  his  tongue,  as  it  were, 
became  loosened  and  he  spoke  with  power  from  on  high.  While 
doing  missionary  work,  Elder  Teasdale  became  acquainted  with 
Miss  Emily  E.  Brown,  who  became  his  wife  in  1853.  Sister 
Teasdale  proved  a  devoted  companion ;  she  shared  with  the 
same  unselfish  interest  in  the  work  of  the  Lord  and  always  sup- 
ported her  husband  in  his  labors  for  the  Church  throughout 
her  entire  married  life.  She  bore  trials  and  hardships  of  a 
temporal  nature,  persecution  and  the  scorn  of  the  world  with 
that  cheerful  resignation  which  always  dignifies  the  true  Saint 
of  the  Most  High. 

Being  zealous  in  the  ministry,  his  abilities  commended  him 
to  the  brethren  as  President  of  the  Somerstown  branch  of  the 
London  conference.  He  was  also  clerk  of  the  conference,  audi- 
tor of  the  book  agency  accounts,  and  president  of  the  tract 
distributing  association.  These  numerous  duties  occupied 
nearly  all  his  time  and  were  well  performed,  without  monetary 
consideration,  and  yet  he  was  compelled  to  do  a  little  work  for 
a  livelihood,  until  the  year  1857,  when  he  was  called  to  spend 
his  entire  time  in  the  ministry.  This  necessitated  giving  up 


APOSTLE  GEORGE  TEASDALE.  265 

his  temporal  employment  and  the  breaking  up  of  a  comfortable 
home.  All  this  he  did  without  a  murmur,  determined  that  his 
time  and  talents  without  reservation,  belonged  to  the  work  of 
the  Lord  henceforth  and  forever.  In  all  this  his  faithful  wife 
was  one  with  him.  He  sold  his  home,  provided  for  his  wife 
as  best  he  could  and  set  out  an  ambassador  of  the  Truth.  The 
peace  and  joys  of  the  Holy  Spirit  fully  sustained  him.  First 
he  presided  over  the  Cambridge  conference.  In  1858,  he  pre- 
sided over  three  conferences — the  Wiltshire,  Landsend,  and  the1 
South,  and  in  1859  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Scottish 
mission.  In  1861,  he  was  released  to  emigrate  to  Zion.  Then 
came  another  trial ;  two  of  his  children  cut  of  four  had  died 
and  were  laid  away  in  the  land  they  were  about  to  leave. 

Because  of  his  constant  missionary  work,  his  temporal  sub- 
stance was  well  nigh  exhausted.  He  and  his  family  were  com- 
pelled to  make  the  ocean  voyage  in  the  steerage  of  an  emigrant 
ship.  He  crossed  the  plains  with  ox  teams,  passing  through 
the  experience  of  the  thousands  who  came  to  Salt  Lake  valley 
before  the  advent  of  the  railroad  across  the  continent.  Arriving 
in  Salt  Lake  City,  Elder  Teasdale  taught  school ;  later  he  had 
charge,  under  the  direction  of  Bishop  H.  B.  Clawson,  of  Presi- 
dent Brigham  Young's  store.  Being  blessed  with  a  good  voice 
for  singing,  he  joined  the  Tabernacle  choir  and  became  a  useful 
member  of  the  Salt  Lake  Dramatic  Association.  In  1867,  he 
was  placed  in  charge  of  the  general  tithing  office  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  In  1868,  he  was  called  on  a  mission  to  Great  Britain, 
with  Albert  Carrington  and  Jesse  N.  Smith,  who  went  to  pre- 
side over  the  British  and  Scandinavian  missions.  While  on 
this  mission  he  acted  as  assistant  editor  of  the  Millennial 
Star,  and  enjoyed  the  spirit  and  ability  to  write  in  a  clear, 
vigorous  manner.  Returning  to  New  York,  he  assisted  Elder 
Wm.  C.  Stains  with  emigration  matters  and  did  some  preaching 
in  New  York  City  and  vicinity.  Upon  arriving  home  from  this 
mission,  Brother  Teasdale  secured  a  position  in  the  Z.  C.  M.  I., 
first  in  the  drug  store  and  subsequently  with  the  produce  de- 
partment, over  which  he  had  charge,  and  worked  up  the  busi- 
ness to  such  success  that  it  amounted  to  several  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  dollars  annually.  While  thus  occupied  he  was  by 
no  means  idle  in  Church  duties.  He  acted' as  a  home  mission- 
ary, visiting  Sunday  schools  and  young  people's  associations, 


266  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

and  was  ever  constant  in  his  obligations  to  the  quorum  to 
which  he  belonged.  In  1875-'7G,  he  performed  a  faithful  mis- 
sion to  the  Southern  States,  mainly  in  Tennessee,  Virginia  and 
North  Carolina.  The  writer  traveled  in  subsequent  years  in 
several  fields  of  labor  where  Elder  Teasdale  labored,  and 
wherever  he  had  gone  he  was  endeared  in  the  memory  of  Saints 
and  friends ;  every  succeeding  Elder  in  later  years  would  hear 
from  the  Saints  and  others  the  name  of  Elder  Teasdale  spoken 
in  terms  of  love  and  respect. 

In  1877  Brother  Teasdale  was  called  to  preside  over  the  Juab 
Stake  of  Zion.  He  was  ordained  a  High  Priest  and  set  apart 
for  this  position  by  President  Brigham  Young.  He  complied 
promptly  and  removed  to  Nephi,  where  he  presided  until  called 
to  the  Apostleship,  five  years  later,  and  there  he  still  makes  his 
home,  endeared  to  the  hearts  of  the  Saints  in  that  Stake.  He 
also  labored  in  the  Nephi  tithing  office,  took  contracts  on  the 
Utah  Southern  railroad,  was  president  of  the  Nephi  Co-opera- 
tive Store,  and  was  also  connected  with  other  enterprises.  He 
represented  his  county  for  two  terms  in  the  Utah  Legislature, 
in  1880  and  1882.  On  the  13th  of  Oct.  1882,  there  being  a 
vacancy  of  two  in  the  quorum  of  the  Twelve,  the  Lord,  by  reve- 
lation to  President  John  Taylor,  called  Elders  George  Teasdale 
and  Heber  J.  Grant  to  fill  them.  From  that  date  until  the 
present,  he  has  been  a  constant  worker  in  the  duties  of  his 
Apostleship,  preaching  the  Gospel  at  home  and  abroad. 

Although  in  his  seventieth  year,  he  attends  Stake  conferences 
far  removed  from  railroad  stations,  and  sets  an  example  of 
courage  and  energy  not  frequently  seen  in  men  of  his  years.  In 
public  and  private  he  fails  not  at  every  opportunity  to  lift  his 
voice  in  defense  of  truth  and  to  turn  the  wayward  from  the 
path  of  ruin  to  that  of  reformation.  Since  receiving  the  Apostle- 
ship, Brother  Teasdale  has  filled  several  missions  abroad,  to  the 
Indian  Territory,  old  Mexico  and  Europe,  where  he  presided 
over  the  European  mission  for  four  years.  During  his  presi- 
dency in  Great  Britain  he  visited  the  missions  established  in 
the  Scandinavian  countries,  Germany,  Switzerland  and  France, 
as  well  as  the  British  Isles.  In  Mexico  he  helped  to  establish 
the  colonies  of  our  people,  and  for  a  period  of  time  had  a  gen- 
eral oversight  of  the  work  in  that  land.  Being  naturally  averse 
to  the  hardened  feeling  cf  the  world,  and  so  intensely  devoted 


APOSTLE  GEORGE  TEASDALE.  267 

to  everything  in  keeping  with  the  Gospel,  he  became  greatly 
attached  to  the  situation  of  our  people  in  Mexico,  wherein  set- 
tlements were  almost  exclusively  of  the  Saints  and  free  from 
the  drinking  saloon,  the  gambling  den,  and  other  haunts  of  vice 
so  prevalent  throughout  the  world.  In  that  land  several  mem- 
bers of  his  own  dear  family  laid  their  bodies  down  to  rest  until 
the  resurrection  of  the  just.  Anxious  to  spread  abroad  the 
Gospel,  and  beyond  his  power  to  go  in  person,  he  has  written 
several  tracts,  "  Glad  Tidings  of  Great  Joy,"  "  The  Restoration 
of  the  Everlasting  Gospel,"  etc.,  which  are  used  quite  extensively 
in  foreign  lands.  Apostle  Teasdale  has  always  been  devoted  to 
the  welfare  of  the  young ;  for  this  reason  he  is  an  interested  and 
able  member  of  the  Sunday  School  Union  Board.  He  strictly 
observes  the  Word  of  Wisdom  and  teaches  the  same  with  great 
earnestness  to  the  children  and  their  parents. 

Apostle  Teasdale  is  tall  and  erect.  His  countenance  and 
manner  are  impressive.  He  is  humble  and  meek,  yet  dignified 
and  courageous.  His  call  to  the  Apostleship  is  proof  that  the 
Lord  loves  humility  and  a  pure  motive.  He  is  genial  and  kind 
to  all  he  meets,  has  great  faith  in  the  promise  of  the  Lord,  and 
in  every  proposition  which  confronts  him  his  first  thought  is, 
"What  is  the  will  of  the  Lord?"  When  he  learns  that,  he  goes 
straightway  to  carry  it  out.  He  honors  the  Lord  with  tithes 
and  offerings  as  fully  and  unselfishly  as  he  lifts  his  voice  in 
praise  or  proclamation  of  the  truth.  As  a  reward  of  his  devo- 
tion the  Lord  directs  him  in  all  his  labors,  especially  so  when 
presiding  over  missions  abroad.  On  one  occasion,  while  presid- 
ing in  Europe,  a  Danish  Elder,  who  was  called  to  Germany, 
was  puzzled  to  know  why  he  was  called  there,  where  he 
would  have  to  learn  a  new  language,  when  there  was  constant 
need  of  missionaries  in  Denmark,  where  the  people  spoke  his 
native  tongue.  When  he  reached  Liverpool  he  expressed  his 
feelings  to  President  Teasdale,  supposing  his  mission  would  be 
changed.  Brother  Teasdale  could  not  account,  either,  for  the 
brother's  call  to  Germany,  but  reflecting  a  moment,  he  said  to 
the  Elder :  "  You  go  to  Germany,  in  accordance  with  your 
call."  He  accordingly  went,  and  in  a  few  months  the  situation 
was  all  made  clear ;  he  was  assigned  to  labor  in  Schleswig-Hol- 
stein,  where  he  met  numbers  of  Scandinavians,  who  had  come 
into  the  country  to  help  construct  a  canal.  He  preached  the 


268  PROPHETS  AND  PATRIARCHS. 

Gospel  to  them,  and  through  this  event  many  of  them  and  others 
were  brought  to  membership  in  the  Church.  This  incident  is 
but  one  of  many  which  has  occurred  in  the  life  and  ministry  of 
Apostle  Teasdale.  Notwithstanding  his  three  score  years  and 
ten  will  soon  have  been  attained,  his  "  natural  force  does  not 
abate,"  nor  "his  eyes  wax  dim."  His  love  and  zeal,  coupled 
with  Divine  wisdom,  increase  with  him  as  the  years  roll  by. 
May  his  life  continue  with  us  yet  many  years,  and  when  he  has 
gone  to  a  broader  and  higher  place  of  usefulness,  may  not  only 
one,  but  many,  rise  up  from  among  his  posterity  who  shall  rep- 
resent among  the  people  of  God  the  purity,  humility,  devotion, 
integrity,  love,  zeal  and  God-given  character  of  their  loving 
father,  whose  reward  will  be  all  that  can  come  to  the  faithful, 
the  reward  which  is  derived  from  the  "  Glory  of  a  well  spent 
life." 


APOSTLE  HEBER  J.  GRANT. 

HEBER  J.  GRANT  holds  the  distinguished  title  of  being  the 
first  of  Utah's  noble  sons  to  receive  a  call  and  ordination  to  the 
Apostleship.  None  cf  his  predecessors  in  the  quorum  of  the 
Twelve  were  born  in  Utah.  From  early  childhood  he  has  been 
rioted  for  his  thrift  and  industry.  The  cottage  where  he  was 
born  was  situated  upon  the  grounds  where  the  Z.  C.  M.  I.  build- 
ing now  stands,  and  Saturday,  Nov.  22d,  1856,  marks  the  day 
of  his  initial  appearance  upon  this  mundane  sphere.  His  father 
was  that  remarkable  preacher  and  expounder  of  the  Gospel, 
that  wonderful  counselor  and  good  man,  Jedediah  Morgan  Grant. 
His  mother,  Rachel  Ridgeway  Ivins,  one  of  Zion's  fair  daugh- 
ters, is  now  living  in  Salt  Lake  City.  Apostle  Grant  possesses 
an  unusual  and  untiring  love  for  his  dear  mother ;  she  has  been 
his  earthly  incentive  in  all  the  walks  of  life,  and  it  is  safe  to 
say  that  no  matter  what  enterprise  he  may  be  led  to  engage  in, 
he  will  first  consider  the  happiness,  felicity  and  welfare  of 
mother.  He  is  easily  moved  to  tears,  and  his  heart  is  soft  with 
abundant  sympathy  and  charity  for  all  who  may  stand  in  need 
of  his  assistance.  He  is  his  mother's  only  son,  and  this  aug- 
ments the  endearment  and  attachment  between  them.  Were  you 
to  ask  Brother  Grant  to  tell  of  his  love  for  mother,  he  would 
answer  your  query  by  saying  that  it  was  beyond  the  expression 
of  his  tongue  to  do  so,  as  he  has  often  declared. 

As  a  boy  he  did  not  manifest  any  degree  of  precocity,  but 
seems  to  have  been  the  butt  of  his  companions  and  associates; 
nevertheless,  when  he  set  himself  to  perform  any  task  he  usually 
came  out  victorious.  He  was  possessed  of  that  invincible  deter- 
mination which  knew  no  defeat,  and  which  halted  not  until  the 
goal  was  reached.  He  seems  to  have  had  the  usual  love  which 
most  boys  have  for  outdoor  sports,  and  it  was  not  infrequent  for 
him  to  play  marbles  or  baseball.  Owing  to  his  delight  and  fre- 
quent engagements  in  such  games,  he  was  called  an  indolent, 
good-for-nothing  boy,  but  he  has  lived  and  labored  in  such 
earnestness  and  diligence,  attended  with  success  nnd  satisfaction. 


270  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS. 

that  those  who  in  his  boyhood  days  supposed  him  shiftless  and 
idle1,  have  been  forced  to  confess  that  in  him  was  the  genuine 
material  necessary  to  make  men  useful  and  good. 

Many  incidents  in  his  early  life  may  be  cited  to  illustrate 
his  energy  and  resolute  will  in  overcoming  obstacles  and  mount- 
ing the  ladder  of  development.  He  had  a  lean  and  weakly 
physique,  and  his  comrades  took  occasion  to  make  fun  of  him 
and  call  him  names,  but  he  determined  in  his  own  mind  that  he 
would  exercise  himself  so  as  to  be  equal  to  the  best  of  them. 
He  could  not  throw  a  baseball  with  any  grace  or  accuracy,  but 
he  resolved  to  accomplish  this  feat,  so  he  forthwith  began  to 
practice.  His  mother's  barn  suffered  much  during  those  days  of 
drill,  for  against  the  gable  of  the  same  he  pounded  his  ball  day 
and  night.  He  conquered,  became  the  captain  of  his  nine,  and 
was  acknowledged  a  peer  upon  the  diamond.  In  penmanship  it 
was  much  the  same,  but  he  came  off  victorious,  and  is  today  one 
cf  the  best  penmen  in  the  state.  So  long  as  there  was  some 
difficulty  to  overcome  you  might  find  Heber  fighting  his  way 
with  unremitting  toil  and  energy,  being  determined  to  win ;  but 
when  there  was  nothing  left  to  conquer,  no  barriers  to  overcome, 
his  interest  lagged.  Brother  Grant  is  one  of  those  industrious 
souls  who  will  not  be  happy  or  contented  in  idleness.  He  must 
work,  for  there  is  no  enjoyment  for  him  but  in  diligent  employ- 
ment. He  thoroughly  believes  that  no  lazy  man  can  ever  be 
saved,  and  proves  his  faith  by  his  works. 

This  industrious  trait  has  enabled  him  to  realize  the  dreams  of 
youth.  While  laboring  as  a  clerk,  or  otherwise,  he  used  to  look ' 
to  better  days,  when  he  should  have  a  more  exalted  calling  and 
occupy  a  better  place  in  life.  Today  he  occupies  the  chair  of 
president  of  a  bank,  and  is  a  large  stockholder.  He  is  a  director 
in  other  banks,  mercantile  institutions,  factories,  etc.  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  has  no  man  more 
interested  in  home  enterprise  and  the  growth  and  development 
of  its  people  than  Heber  J.  Grant.  He  loves  the  energy,  thought 
and  enterprise  of  accumulating  wealth,  but  never  hoards  it  up. 
He  is  not  penurious  in  any  sense  of  the  word ;  it  is  not  the 
money  which  attracts  him,  but  the  good  to  be  accomplished  in  its 
use.  He  is  often  called  to  solicit  large  sums  of  money  to  pro- 
mote some  enterprise,  and  whether  it  be  in  the  light  of  an  invest- 
ment or  charitable  offering,  Apostle  Grant  ranks  as  one  of  the 


HEBER  J.  GRANT. 


272  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

most  generous,  never  asking  any  man  to  do  what  he  will  not  do 
himself. 

Of  his  missionary  labors  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  the 
words  of  Elder  Edward  H.  Anderson :  "  Apostle  Grant  has 
filled  a  number  of  important  financial  missions  for  the  'Church 
and  for  the  institutions  with  which  he  is  connected.  In  the 
panic  of  1890-91  he  visited  leading  Eastern  and  Western  cities, 
and  obtained  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  aid  institu- 
tions in  Utah  that  were  financially  distressed.  During  the  suc- 
ceeding dark  days  of  1893,  he  crossed  the  continent  on  such  mis- 
sions four  times,  and  succeeded  marvelously,  and  by  the  aid  of 
God,  as  he  declares,  in  securing  something  over  half  a  million 
dollars  for  the  Church  and  business  institutions  with  which  he 
is  connected.  He  was  sent  with  the  promise  of  President  Wood- 
ruff that  he  should  succeed ;  he  had  implicit  faith  in  the  Prophet 
of  God  and  that  his  words  would  be  verified,  as  they  were." 

Heber  ,T.  Grant  held  the  offices  of  Elder  and  Seventy  prior 
to  his  ordination  to  a  High  Priest,  in  October,  1880.  He  was 
ordained  an  Apostle  under  the  hands  of  the  First  Presidency  and 
Apostles  on  Oct.  16th,  1882,  President  George  Q.  Cannon  being 
the  spokesman.  His  ecclesiastical  missions  have  been  in  various 
Stakes  of  Zion,  in  different  states  and  territories  of  the  Union 
and  Mexico.  With  Apostle  Brigham  Young  and  others,  he  went 
to  Sonora,  Mexico,  before  any  of  the  Saints  were  located  in  that 
country.  Their  special  work  was  to  open  up  the  Gospel  to  the 
Yaqui  Indians.  In  1883-4  he,  with  Apojstle  Young,  visited  the 
Indians  of  the  Navajo  Nation,  and  the  Moquis,  Zuni  and  Papago 
Indians.  While  away,  they  called  a  number  of  brethren  and  set 
them  apart  to  labor  among  these  Indians. 

One  of  the  most  striking  evidences  of  Brother  Grant's  faith, 
industry,  courage  and  perseverance  is  his  present  effort  in  learn- 
ing to  sing.  He  is  proving  that  singing  is  not  altogether  a  gift 
of  nature,  an  inbred  tendency,  but  that  it  may  be  acquired. 
Brother  Grant  was  a  great  admirer  of  the  late  Superintendent 
George  Goddard,  whose  life  was  devoted  to  Sunday  school  work. 
He  was  fond  of  Brother  Goddard's  singing  and  the  beautiful 
sentiments  expressed  in  verse.  Being  pronounced  destitute  of 
vocal  talent,  Brother  Grant  used  to  read  or  quote  songs  of 
Zion  to  the  Sunday  school  children.  At  once  an  inspiration 
seized  him  that  he  could  learn  to  sing,  and  against  all  inherent 


APOSTLE  HEBER  J.  GRANT.  273 

obstacles,  to  the  amusement  of  the  congregation  and  the  amaze- 
ment of  eminent  vocalists,  he  has  persevered  until  he  sings  well, 
and  still  improves  by  constant  practice.  Brother  Grant  is  largely 
engaged  in  the  insurance  business,  and  is  very  successful.  In 
appt -a  ranee  he  is  tall,  with  prominent,  well  defined  features, 
indicative  of  push  and  energy.  He  has  recently  been  called  to 
open  up  a  missionary  work  in  the  nation  of  Japan,  and  on  July 
4th.  following  the  April  conference  of  1901,  he  left  for  his  field 
of  labor. 

In  religious  life  my  first  recollection  of  Brother  Grant  was  in 
the  Elders'  quorum.  He  wrote  and  read  an  essay  to  the  quorum. 
He  was  then  very  young,  but  the  essay  to  my  mind  was  grand, 
and  made  such  an  impression  upon  me  that  it  remained  with  me 
until  I  received  a  dream  from  the  Lord  in  support  of  it,  and 
neither  the  essay  nor  the  dream  has  ever  vanished  from  my 
memory.  Elder  Grant  was  early  called  to  preside  over  the 
Tooele  Stake.  He  was  successful  in  his  administration  and  won 
the  love  of  the  people.  While  acting  in  this  capacity  he  was 
called  by  revelation  through  the  Prophet  John  Taylor,  Oct.  13th, 
1882,  to  be  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  He  is  efficient  and  full 
of  energy  in  this  high  and  holy  calling.  Brother  Grant  has 
passed  through  many  trials  of  personal  affliction,  sickness  in  his 
family,  the  death  of  his  affectionate,  noble  wife  and  loving  chil- 
dren, and  has  had  financial  troubles.  In  all  these  sorrows  he  has 
shown  his  implicit  faith  in  God,  submission  to  Hisi  holy  will, 
with  endurance,  patience  and  perseverance  which  know  no 
failure,  and  he  never  murmurs.  He  is  a  kind,  indulgent  father, 
as  well  as  a  loving,  obedient  son.  He  is  an  honest  man,  an 
industrious,  faithful  Saint,  and  truly  an  Apostle  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ. 


18 


APOSTLE  JOHN  W.  TAYLOR. 

JOHN  W.  TAYLOR,  son  of  the  late  President  John  Taylor, 
bears  the  distinction  of  being  more  unlike  other  men  than  any 
one  in  his  quorum.  These  peculiarities,  when  understood  by 
close  acquaintance,  'are  pleasant  to  contemplate,  and  afford  a 
happy  relief  from  the  monotony  so  prevalent  among  mankind. 
He  is  strikingly  original  in  all  his  expressions  and  methods.  He 
is  not  a  copyist  in  any  sense  of  the  word,  and  at  the  same  time 
no  man  more  than  Elder  Taylor  appreciates  the  virtue  of  others, 
or  is  more  unselfish  in  affording  facilities  to  exercise  the  talents 
and  gifts  which  he  sees  in  his  fellow  men.  He  is  never  jealous  or 
envious  of  the  talents  or  acquisitions  of  his  fellows,  but  through 
the  greatness  of  his  soul  he  thanks  God  for  the  blessings  and 
prosperity  bestowed  upon  them,  though  he  may  himself  be  in  the 
depths  of  adversity. 

In  Brother  John  W.  we  see  a  perfect  exemplification  of  the 
Savior's  words,  "A  good  tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit."  His 
father  was  one  of  the  best  and  noblest  of  God's  children,  and  he 
ever  strove  to  instill  into  the  minds  of  his  children  the  lasting 
truths  of  eternal  life,  of  true  charatcer,  honesty,  thrift  and  in1- 
tegrity.  From  his  'mother,  Sophia  Whittaker  Taylor,  he  in- 
herited sterling  qualities,  for  she  was  blessed  with  a  goodly 
degree  of  spirituality ;  indeed,  s'he  was  an  ideal  Latter-day  Saint. 
He  was  born  in  Provo,  Utah,  May  15th,  1858.  The  time  of 
his  birth  was  during  that  period  when  Johnston's  army  was 
approaching  Utah,  and  his  father  had  moved  his  family  south 
of  Salt  Lake  City.  The  spirit  and  emergency  of  the  times  seem 
to  be  indelibly  affixed  as  a  characteristic  of  John  W.  He  is  full 
of  vital  energy  in  body  and  spirit,  and  no  matter  what  the  con- 
ditions confronting  him  are,  he  is  always  equal  to  the  task. 
In  early  life  he  was  not  afforded  the  same  opportunities  for 
scholastic  education  as  the  sons  and  daughters  of  some  other 
families,  but  this  did  not  bar  his  way  to  advancement  and 
development,  for  we  find  him  ascending  the  ladder  of  progres- 
sion step  by  step.  Though  he  was  deprived  to  some  extent 
of  the  advantages  derived  in  the  class  room,  he  at  least  had 


JOHN  W.   TAYLOR. 


276  PKOPHETS  AND  PATRIARCHS. 

the  wise  counsel  of  a  God-fearing  father,  who  taught  him  to 
do  right,  'and  whatever  he  found  to  do  to  do  it  well.  This 
motto  has  been  the  guiding  stare  of  his  whole  life ;  whatever 
he  is  called  upon  to  accomplish,  he  does  it  well. 

At  about  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was  ordained  a  Deacon, 
and  in  this  humble  calling  he  worked  earnestly  and  diligently. 
Two  years  later,  when  he  was  ordained  a  Teacher,  we  find  ham 
working  in  the  same  energetic  way.  After  his  ordination  to  the 
Melchisedek  Priesthood  he  received  liis  blessing  in  the  house  of 
the  Lord,  and  with  Elder  Matthias  F.  Cowley,  he  was  chosen  a 
counselor  to  President  Edward  W.  Davis,  of  the  Elders'  quorum 
of  the  Salt  Lake  Stake  of  Zion.  He  was  also  very  beneficial  in 
Sunday  School  work,  and  his  ability  to  teacli  the  young,  and 
the  tact  and  aptness  he  possessed  in  this  regard  was  pronounced 
the  best  in  the  land.  Besides  his  work  in  the  Sunday  School 
as  a  teacher,  he  was  'also  connected  with  the  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Association,  in  which  he  was  an  active  and  leading  member. 
At  this  time  he  was  about  nineteen  years  of  age.  In  early  life 
he  was  made  the  recipient  of  heavenly  visions  and  divine  com- 
munications. These  holy  inspirations  have  given  him  a  sure 
knowledge  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  Joseph 
Smith  a  true  Prophet  of  the  Most  High.  No  matter  what  he 
may  be  called  upon  to  do,  by  humility,  determination  and  no 
small  degree  of  tenacity,  he  will  accomplish  the  labor.  The 
occasion  may  require  thought,  discernment  and  quick  action,  all 
of  which  he  manifests,  but  the  crowning  feature  of  his  life 
is  his  sublime  faith  in  God  and  the  positive  assurance  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  victory  will  come  to  right.  His  feeling 
is  pronounced  that  if  we  obey  the  injunctions  of  the  Gospel 
'and  live  righteous  lives  in  all  respects,  God  will  fight  the 
battles  of  His  people  in  whatever  course  He  will  have  His  people 
pursue,  at  the  same  time  maintaining  a  most  independent  nature 
and  having  strong  convictions  on  all  subjects  presented  for  his 
consideration. 

Apostle  Taylor  treats  with  the  utmost  respect  the  views  and 
sentiments  of  his  fellow  beings.  His  opportunities  for  schooling 
were  very  limited,  as  stated,  yet  his  peculiar  gift  of  grasping  the 
situation  around  him  causes  men  of  much  greater  opportunity 
and  experience  to  look  to  him  as  a  leading  spirit.  He  possesses 
talent  in  various  directions,  but  he  shines  as  an  inspired  preacher 


APOSTLE  JOHN  W.   TAYLOR.  277 

of  righteousness  far  brighter  than  in  any  other  field  of  labor. 
While  in  his  boyhood  he  labored  as  a  Deacon  and  Teacher  in  the 
14th  Ward,  also  as  a  Sunday  School  teacner  to  the  primary 
children,  and  in  this  line  was  pronounced  by  Superintendent 
Goddard  the  best  in  the  Church.  He  labored  in  the  Ward  also 
as  an  Elder,  and  in  this  office  filled  his  first  mission  chiefly  in  the 
states  of  Georgia  and  Kentucky.  'My  first  recollection  of  his 
public  speaking  goes  back  to  a  literary  association  in  the  Four- 
teenth Ward,  \vhen  he  was  about  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  arose 
apparently  with  perfect  calmness  and  said  :  "I  feel  very  weak 
just  now  ;"  then  he  paused  for  some  seconds,  and  continued  : 
"That  clock  goes  slower  than  I  ever  saw  it  before."  Another 
pause,  and  then :  "I  feel  better  now,"  and  on  -he  went,  ex- 
pressing clearly  exalted  ideas  and  an  exhortation  to  the  young 
worthy  <a  man  of  much  maturer  years.  He  was  constantly  grow- 
ing in  grace  and  a  knowledge  of  the  truth. 

In  the  Southern  States,  while  standing  before  the  congrega- 
tions of  the  people,  his  countenance  would  fairly  shine  with  the 
inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  His  tongue  was  loosed  and  he 
spoke  for  hours  at  a  time,  one  constant  stream  of  heavenly  ii> 
spirations,  and  this  was  also  the  case  in  private  conversation. 
As  a  missionary,  I  feel  safe  in  saying  that  Apostle  John  W. 
Taylor  is  among  the  very  best  this  last  dispensation  has  ever 
produced.  He  is  kind,  pleasant  and  lovable  in  all  his  walk  and 
conversation.  Passing  the  humble  cabin  home  of  an  aged  couple 
in  Colorado  one  day,  he  said  to  his  companion:  "Let  us  go  in 
and  chop  them  some  wood."  They  turned  in  and  chopped  up  the 
wood  pile,  consisting  of  small  quaking  asps.  The  occuypants  of 
the  'house  were  greatly  surprised  to  see  preachers  turn  aside  to 
cut  wood,  but  their  friendship  for  the  Elders  was  lasting.  In 
Kentucky  he  hoed  corn  side  by  side  with  several  natives  of  that 
State,  and  whih-  he  wielded  the  hoe  with  equal  strength  to  his 
companions,  his  mind  was  lit  up  with  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  he  declared  the  Gospel  unto  them.  Several  were 
converted  and  subsequently  embraced  the  truth.  Since  then  he 
has  labored  faithfully  at  home,  has  been  called  to  the  Apostle- 
ship,  and  for  several  years  until  recently,  has  presided  over  the 
Colorado  mission.  This  mission  he  opened  and  has  conducted 
missionary  work  in  it  with  great  success,  many  liaving  received 
the  Gospel  under  his  administration. 


278  PROPHETS  AND   PATRIARCHS'. 

Probably  no  man  in  the  quorum  enjoys  the  gift  of  prophecy  so 
much  as  Elder  Taylor.  He  has  uttered  many  prophecies,  and  so 
far  as  time  has  brought  them  due,  they  have  received  a  remark- 
able fulfillment.  He  has  great  faith  in  healing  the  sick  and  in 
all  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  Feeling  that  the  Saints  did  not  live 
as  strictly  to  the  duties  of  the  Gospel  as  they  should,  and  conse- 
quently failed  to  enjoy  to  a  proper  extent  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit, 
he  requested  the  Patriarchs  of  the  Davis  Stake  to  get  out  among 
the  people,  dedicate  their  homes  to  the  Lord,  call  them  together  in 
the  cottage  meetings  and  exercise  the  gifts  of  the  Gospel.  They 
complied  with  his  suggestion,  he  often  meeting  with  them,  and 
the  people  spoke  in  tongues,  and  had  the  (interpretation,  sang  in 
tongues,  prophesied,  healed  the  sick  and  enjoyed  a  Pentecostal 
feast.  For  a  number  of  years  Elder  Taylor  has  been  the  leading 
Apostle  in  the  growth  and  development  of  our  settlements  in 
Canada.  He  is  a  leading  spirit  in  all  the  interests  of  Zion  tem- 
porally and  spiritually.  May  his  life  be  long  and  happy,  and 
every  desire  of  his  noble  heart  granted. 


APOSTLE  MARRINER  W.  MERRILL. 

MARRINER  WOOD  MERRILL  was  born  in  Sackville,  Westmore- 
land county,  Brunswick,  September  25th,  1852.  Reared  in  a 
cold,  rigid  climate,  and  nurtured  in  industry  and  thrift,  *he  is  a 
man  of  typical  endurance  and  steady,  unswerving  character ;  also 
a  man  of  remarkably  sound  judgment  and  foresight  in  all  the 
practical  walks  of  life.  With  all  his  matter-of-fact,  practical 
disposition,  he  is  very  spiritual,  and  has  perhaps  as  choice  a 
blending  of  the  spiritual  and  temporal  as  any  man  in  the  Church. 
Before  embracing  the  Gospel  he  received  a  testimony  from  the 
Lord  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  prophet  of  God.  His  own  simple 
statement  of  this  great  event  is  here  given : 

"When  I  was  a  boy  of  nine  years  my  mother  sent  me  to  the 
Tiay  field,  where  my  father  and  brothers  were  at  work,  to  call 
them  to  dinner.  On  the  way  I  became  unconscious,  and  was 
clothed  with  a  vision  which  I  distinctly  remembered  wrhen  I 
gained  my  usual  feelings  and  thoughts.  After  I  became  conscious 
I  found  myself  in  a  log  cabin  located  on  the  way  to  the  field.  In 
this  cabin  I  was  on  my  knees  in  the  attitude  of  prayer.  In  the 
vision  I  saw  the  Church  and  the  Prophets  Joseph  and  Brigham. 
I  saw  the  travels  of  the  latter  and  of  the  Saints  from  Xauvco 
and  Winter  Quarters  to  Utah.  In  the  vision  the  sight  of  covered 
buggies  and  wagons  was  peculiar  to  me,  for  at  that  time  I  had 
never  seen  such  vehicles,  nor  had  I  ever  seen  the  mules  which  I 
beheld  in  my  vision.  I  saw  two  and  sometimes  six  mules  to  a 
wagon,  and  in  the  company  of  the  pioneers  I  saw  two  men  w'ho 
had  been  boy  friends  of  my  youth,  and  each  of  them  had  more 
than  one  wife.  In  my  vision  at  that  time  the  divinity  of  plural 
marriage  was  revealed  to  me.  I  comprehended  the  doctrines  and 
principles  as  they  had  been  revealed  The  progress  and  develop- 
ment of  the  Church  were  shown,  and  the  persecutions  of  the 
Saints  were  made  clear  to  my  understanding,  and  I  heard  a  voice 
which  told  me  that  all  I  beheld  was  true,  but  I  was  cautioned  to 
keep  to  myself  what  I  had  seen  until  I  should  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  leaving  my  native  country.  Upon  reaching  home  I  was 


280  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

pale,  and  it  was  some  time  before  I  could  speak  distinctly.  That 
incident  in  my  life  made  a  very  strong  impression  upon  my 
boyish  mind,  and  one  day  I  ventured  to  ask  my  mother  a  ques- 
tion about  plural  marriage,  why  it  was  not  practiced  now  as  in 
the  days  of  God's  ancient  people.  She  answered  in  surprise  by 
asking  what  I  knew  about  such  things.  Fearing  that  I  might 
betray  the  secret  revealed,  I  made  no  more  mention  of  the 
matter." 

Apostle  Merrill  is  not  what  people  generally  term  an  enthus- 
iast in  religious  matters,  but  is  as  firm  as  a  rock  in  his  con- 
victions of  the  truth.  He  looks  upon  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  'Christ 
philosophically  as  the  embodiment  of  all  truth,  whether  that 
truth  is  possessed  by  men  of  a  strictly  religious  type  or  not ;  he 
thus  measures  all  things  by  the  Gospel  standard,  and  if  it  will 
not  bear  this  test  it  is  of  little  or  no  benefit  to  him.  He  emi- 
grated to  Utah  in  1853,  and  early  became  acquainted  with  Pres- 
ident Brigham  Young,  of  whom  he  was  a  great  admirer.  This 
feeling  of  attachment  was  reciprocated,  for  President  Young 
discerned  in  Brother  Merrill  the  elements  of  a  truly  great  man. 
He  doubtless  'had  some  premonition  of  Elder  Merrill's  future 
worth  to  the  Church,  because  of  the  confidence  he  placed  in  him. 
In  the  early  settlement  of  Cache  valley,  Brother  Merrill  was 
called  to  be  one  of  its  pioneers.  He  located  by  direct  inspiration 
on  the  ground  where  Richmond  stands,  and  soon  after  became 
the  Bishop  of  that  Ward.  This  position  he  held  for  many 
years,  until  called  to  be  a  counselor  in  the  Cache  Stake 
Presidency.  In  the  Richmond  and  Cache  Stake  of  Zion  he  has 
been  truly  a  father  to  the  people.  No  wiser  counselor  ever  pre- 
sided in  Cache  valley.  He  has  the  love,  confidence  and  regard 
of  the  people.  If  any  one  lacks  in  his  esteem  for  Brother  Mer- 
rill, it  is  because  he  has  failed  to  keep  good  counsel  wh'ich  may 
have  been  given,  for  while  he  commands  the  respect  of  the 
people,  he  lias  ne\7er  acquired  it  by  catering  to  the  whims  of  any 
one.  In  his  family  government  he  is  a  standing  example  to  the 
entire  Church,  having  in  that  respect  very  few  equals. 

Brother  Merrill  has  had  some  remarkable  manifestations  of 
God's  power  and  preserving  mercy.  An  instance  is  here  given 
in  his  own  language :  "In  the  winter  of  1855,  I  worked  in  what 
was  then  called  North  Mill  Creek  canyon.  The  only  team  I 
had  at  the  time  was  one  yoke  of  oxen  ;  with  this  I  kept  myself 


MARRINER    W.   MERRILL. 


282  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

busy  during  the  latter  part  of  the  fall  of  1854  and  th«  beginning 
of  the  winter  of  1855,  in  hauling  wood  from  the  canyon  to  Salt 
Lake  City,  where  I  sold  it  for  what  I  could.  In  January,  1855, 
the  snow  in  the  mountains  was  so  deep  that  I  was  unable  to 
procure  firewood,  and  I  decided  to  haul  some  pine  house  and 
stable  logs.  Myself  and  some  brethren  therefore  shoveled  and 
broke  the  road  to  a  small  red  pine  patch  of  timber  in  the  side 
mountain,  and  when  this  road  was  completed  for  two  days  we 
together  hauled  logs  and  timber  to  the  city. 

"Just  at  this  time  the  weather  became  extremely  cold,  and. 
a  dense  winter  fog  hung  over  the  valley ;  but  high  up  in  the 
mountains  one  could  overlook  the  cloud  of  fog.  This  condition 
prevailed  for  several  days,  but  exactly  'how  cold  it  was  I  cannot 
say,  as  thermometers  were  very  scarce  in  those  days.  It  was 
during  one  of  the  early  days  of  this  cold  spell  the  following 
incident  occurred  : 

"I  left  home  very  early  in  the  morning  to  obtain  a  load  of 
logs.  My  wife  remonstrated  with  me  and  tried  to  prevail  upon 
me  not  to  go,  as  the  weather  was  so  very  cold.  I  did  not,  how- 
ever, heed  'her  kind  entreaties,  but  started  upon:  my  journey ; 
and,  on  arriving  at  the  timber,  was  surprised  to  find  that  I  was 
the  only  one  who  had  come  for  a  load.  I  worked  verp  rapidly 
for  two  reasons  :  one  was  that  I  might  keep  warm,  and  the  other 
that  I  might  return  'home  early.  I  cut,  trimmed  and  prepared 
five  nice  red  pine  logs  about  thirty  feet  long  and  ten  inches 
thick  at  the  butt  end,  and  about  dx  inches  at  the  top.  These  I 
succeeded  in  getting  down  to  the  place  where  I  had  left  my  bob- 
sled and  camp  outfit,  about  a  'half  mile  distant.  The  place  of 
loading  was  very  slippery,  it  being  rather  on  a  side  hill.  I  had 
my  five  logs  arranged  side  by  side  below  the  sled,  my  oxen  being 
chained  to  a  stump,  where  they  were  quietly  eating  their  hay. 
I  proceeded  to  load  the  logs,  designing  to  place  three  on  the 
bottom  and  two  on  the  top  of  the  three,  which  was  my  usual 
way  of  hauling  timber  of  that  kind.  I  succeeded  in  getting  the 
first  log  on  the  sled  without  much  difficulty.  The  bunk  (canyon 
men  will  know  what  a  bunk  is,  especially  if  they  were  born  in 
New  Brunswick)  being  icy,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  that  I 
could  make  the  log  stay  w'here  I  had  placed  it  on  the  sled ;  but 
I  finally  succeeded  in  blocking  it  up,  and  thought  it  secure. 
Then  I  turned  around  to  load  the  second  log,  and  as  I  did  so, 


APOSTLE   MARRINER  W.   MERRILL.  283 

the  blocking  gave  way  and  the  first  log  slid  rapidly  from  the 
sled,  catching  me  in  the  hollow  of  my  legs  and  throwing  ma  for- 
ward on  my  face  across  the  log  lying  there.  In  falling,  the 
hand-spike  in  my  hand,  which  I  had  been  using  in  loading  the 
logs,  fell  far  from  my  reach  ;  and  I  was  thus  pinioned  completely 
across  the  timber.  The  log  that  had  slipped  from  the  sled  lay 
across  my  legs,  which  were  on  the  hard  ice,  and  my  body  was 
lying  across  the  four  logs. 

"I  began  to  think  that  I  was-  thus  doomed  to  perish  in  the 
canyon.  I  struggled  desperately  to  release  myself,  but  every 
effort  seemed  to  bind  me  the  more  firmly  beneath  the  terrible 
load  which  seemed  crushing  my  very  bones.  While  thus  strug- 
gling for  relief  I  also  prayed  earnestly  to  the  Lord  for  assist- 
ance, and  while  doing  £JQ  I  lost  consciousness.  When  I  next  re- 
gained my  senses  I  was  half  a  mile  down  the  canyon  from  the 
place  where  I  began  to  load,  and  was  seated  upon  the  logs, 
which  were  loaded  in  the  exact  position  that  I  had  designed  to 
put  them — three  on  the  bottom  and  two  on  the  top  of  the  three. 
All  were  nicely  bound  with  chains  ;  I  was  sitting  upon  my  sheep- 
skin with  the  woolly  side  up ;  my  whip  wag  placed  on  the  load 
carefully  so  it  could  not  lose ;  my  overcoat,  home-made  jeans,  lay 
across  the  load  in  front  of  me,  but  within  my  reach. 

"As  I  aroused  from  my  stupor,  I  spoke  to  my  oxen  and  they 
stopped,  and  I  viewed  my  surroundings  with  feelings  that  can- 
not be  described.  I  quickly  took  my  bearings,  as  I  was  fa- 
iniliar  with  every  point  in  the  canyon.  Being  quite  cold,  I 
essayed  to  jump  from  the  load  and  put  on  my  overcoat ;  but,  to 
my  surprise,  my  limbs  refused  to  do  my  bidding,  they  were  so 
sore  and  my  body  so  badly  bruised.  I  sat  there  and  reflected 
for  a  few  moments  upon  my  peculiar  situation;  looked  around 
my  load  and  found  everything  in  place,  just  as  I  would  have 
put  the  things  myself ;  my  ax  was  firmly  bedded  in  the  butt 
end  of  one  of  the  logs,  and  everything  else  was  in  first-class  con- 
dition. 

"After  making  another  unsuccessful  effort  to  get  from  the 
load,  I  reached  my  coat,  put  it  on  as  best  I  could  in  a  sitting 
posture,  and  started  my  oxen  for  home.  I  arrived  safely  about 
one  hour  later  than  my  usual  time.  My  wife  was  very  uneasy 
about  me  on  account  of  the  lateness  of  my  arrival,  and  because 
of  the  fear  ever  present  with  her  during  the  whole  of  the  day, 


284  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

that  something  would  happen  to  my  injury.  She  met  me  at  the 
corral  and  carried  me  in  her  arms  to  the  house,  which  she  was 
then  quite  able  to  do,  I  weighing  but  a  little  over  a  hundred 
pounds.  I  was  placed  in  a  comfortable  position  on  the  bed,  and 
she  then  cared  for  my  team.  For  some  days  she  carefully 
nursed  me  before  I  was  able  to  move  around  the  house. 

"I  hesitated  to  narrate  this  incident  because  of  the  skepticism 
which  is  so  common  at  the  present  day,  even  among  some  who 
profess  to  be  Saints,  concerning  things  somewhat  supernatural ; 
but  I  can  truthfully  testify  in  all  soberness  that  some  power 
which  I  did  not  see  assisted  me  from  the  position  which  doubt- 
less would  have  speedily  cost  me  my  life/  As  I  was  preserved 
for  some  purpose  known  to  my  Heavenly  Father,  so  do  I  also 
believe  that  God  will  bless  and  preserve  the  lives  of  His  faithful 
children  just  as  long  as  it  is  necessary  for  them  to  live  to  accom- 
plish their  missions  upon  the  earth.  The  youth  of  Zion,  and 
all  who  have  made  covenants  with  the  Lord  should,  therefore, 
exercise  faith  in  Him  ;  and  He  will,  if  necessary,  send  angelic 
visitors  to  sustain  and  preserve  those  who  put  their  trust  in 
Him." 

Personality  is  strongly  impressed  upon  his  posterity.  Among 
them  all,  not  one  is  disinclined  to  hard  labor,  either  mentally  or 
physically.  They  are  among  the  leading  spirits  in  Northern 
Utah.  He  is  a  staunch  supporter  of  education  and  has  provided 
his  sons  and  daughters  with  a  good  education  ;  they  have  grad- 
uated at  colleges  at  home  and  in  the  East.  Several  of  his  sons 
are  among  the  leading  professors  of  the  Brigham  Young  Col- 
lege, the  University  of  Utah,  and  the  Agricultural  College  at 
Logan.  Numbers  of  'his  daughters  also  have  been  successful  as 
teachers  in  the  school-room.  With  their  educational  attain- 
ments they  have  also  the  sturdy,  industrious  qualities  of  their 
parents  and  the  practical  experience  given  to  them,  by  their 
'honored  father  and  mothers.  They  are  all  imbued  with  the 
faith  of  their  parents,  and  several  of  his  sons  hold  positions  of 
prominence  and  responsibility  in  the  Church. 

As  an  example  of  Apostle  Merrill's  firmness  to  duty,  an  inci- 
dent is  related  as  occurring  at  the  time  of  General  Connor's 
army  passing  through  'Northern  Utah.  Two  of  the  soldiers 
came  to  Bishop  Merrill's  home  and  had  occasion  to  remain  over 
night.  When  the  time  of  prayers  came,  Brother  Merrill  said 


APOSTLE   MA.RRINER   W.    MERRILL.  285 

to  the  two  visitors  :  "We  hold  family  prayers  night  and  morn- 
ing at  our  house ;  you  are  welcome  to  kneel  with  us  in  prayer 
or  retire  until  prayers  are  over."  One  of  the  soldiers,  with 
becoming  humility,  knelt  in  prayer,  the  other  walked  out  of  the 
house  until  the  devotional  exercises  were  over.  No  matter  who 
Mas  present  or  what  embarrassments  surrounded  him,  he  was 
never  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  nor  afraid  to  do  his  duty, 
lie  has  always  been  a  strong  advocate  and  supporter  of  home 
industry ;  he  would  give  $25.00  for  a  suit  of  home-made  cloth- 
ing rather  than  $20.00  for  an  equally  good  one  manufactured 
abroad. 

When  the  Logan  Temple  was  prepared  for  use,  President 
Taylor  appointed  Brother  Merrill  to  take  charge,  although 
others  were  urged  for  the  position.  (Subsequently,  with  Anthon 
II.  Lund  and  Abraham  H.  Cannon,  Brother  Merrill  was  called 
to  the  Apostleship,  in  which  capacity  he  has  proven  himself  in- 
deed a  disciple  of  the  Lord.  Unpretentious  in  his  appearance, 
his  soul,  like  that  of  Nephi,  "delighteth  in  plainness ;"  his 
counsels  and  teachings  in  public  and  private  are  full  of  inspira- 
tion, discretion  and  good  judgment,  and  are  most  strikingly 
emphasized  in  his  example  and  precept.  At  a  time  when  Cache 
Valley  needed  a  man  of  unusual  qualities  to  preside  over  the 
Stake,  although  out  of  the  usual  course  to  take  an  Apostle, 
President  Snow  designated  Elder  Merrill  for  the  place.  During 
his  administration  the  debts  of  the  'Stake  have  been  greatly 
reduced,  and  >a  feeling  of  unity  has  been  brought  about. 

Among  the  gifts  enjoyed  by  Brother  Merrill  the  spirit  of 
revelation  and  prophecy  are  not  wanting.  He  lives  near  to  the 
Lord  and  is  truly  an  Apostle  of  the  Savior. 


APOSTLE  ABRAHAM  H.  CANNON. 

ABRAHAM  HOAGLAND  CANNON  was  the  son  of  George  Q.  and 
Elizabeth  Hoagland  Cannon.  He  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City 
March  12th,  1859,  while  his  father  was  absent  on  a  mission  to 
the  Eastern  States.  As  a  boy  he  was  given  the  best  advantages 
that  the  times  afforded  for  an  education,  and  being  of  a  studious 
nature  he  availed  himself  of  the  opportunities  at  hand,  finishing 
with  the  Deseret  University.  For  some  time,  while  his  father 
was  editor  of  the  Deseret  News,  Abraham  was  employed  at  the 
institution  as  errand  boy.  Later  he  learned  the  carpenter's 
trade  at  the  Church  carpenter  shop,  and  worked  on  the  Temple 
block.  He  also  studied  architecture  under  Obed  Taylor,  and  be- 
came proficient  in  this  branch. 

When  only  twenty  years  old  he  was  called  on  a  mission  to 
Europe.  For  the  first  few  months  he  labored  in  the  Notting- 
ham conference,  England,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  Swiss 
and  German  mission.  He  quickly  mastered  the  German  lan- 
guage and  traveled  as  a  missionary  in  both  Germany  and 
Switzerland,  presiding  over  one  of  the  conferences  in  the  former 
country.  He  composed  some  of  the  hymns  now  being  sung  by 
the  Saints  in  Germany,  and  met  with  marked  success  while  on 
this  mission.  During  his  absence  his  beloved  mother  died.  He 
returned  home  in  June,  1882. 

Soon  after  his  return  (Oct.  9,  1882,)  Elder  Cannon  was  or- 
dained one  of  the  First  Seven  Presidents  of  the  Seventies.  For 
seven  years  he  occupied  this  position,  and  at  the  general  con- 
ference of  the  Church  in  October,  1889,  he  was  sustained  as  one 
of  the  Twelve  Apostles.  From  that  time  until  the  day  of  his 
death  (Sunday  morning,  July  19th,  189G,)  he  was  the  junior 
member  of  the  Council  of  Apostles. 

Although  called  from  this  sphere  of  action  in  the  very  prime 
of  a  useful  life,  he  had  been  a  diligent  worker,  a  prominent 
figure  in  business  transactions,  and  a  power  among  his  brethren. 
He  seemed  to  possess  extraordinary  qualifications  for  business 
management  and  successfully  conducted  many  enterprises  under- 


ABRAHAM  H.   CANNON. 


288  PROPHETS   AKD   PATRIARCHS. 

taken  under  adverse  circumstances.  One  fact  connected  with 
Elder  Camion's  career  in  business  ventures  which  stands  out 
noticeably  prominent  and  important  is,  that  all  he  did  was 
for  the  advancement  of  Uta'h  and  her  people,  and  of  those 
dependent  upon  them.  When  twenty-three  years  of  age  he  as- 
sumed business  control  of  the  Juvenile  Instructor  and  other 
associate  publications,  developing  what  was  then  a  small  print- 
ing establishment  into  one  of  the  foremost  publishing  'houses  in 
the  West.  During  his  management,  which  lasted  until  his  death, 
and  although  he  laid  no  claims  to  literary  ability,  still  we  find* 
that  between  his  many  duties,  which  were  onerous  to  him,  he 
found  time  to  write  a  vast  number  of  articles  for  publication, 
which  were  read  with  interest  and  delight  by  many  thousands. 
The  amount  of  'his  labors  in  this  regard  cannot  be  computed. 
In  1892  he,  with  his  brother,  John  Q.  Cannon,  took  charge  of 
the  Deseret  News,  In  the  same  year  he  became  editor  and  pub- 
lisher of  the  Contributor,  continuing  in  that  relation  until  his 
death.  The  News,  speaking  of  his  marvelous  business  capa- 
bility, gives  the  following  items  of  interest : 

"Of  his  other  business  ventures,  there  are  so  many  that  there 
is  room  here  for  but  a  passing  mention  thereof.  He  wras  the 
moving  spirit  in  the  'Salt  Lake  and  Pacific  Railway,  that  great 
enterprise  which  was  to  connect  Salt  Lake  City  with  Southern 
California,  and  to  build  a  line  into  the  Deep  Creek  country,  and 
which  is  still  under  way.  He  was  elected  director,  vice-presi- 
dent and  assistant  manager  of  the  Bullion-Beck  'Mining  Com- 
pany. He  was  a  director  and  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  State 
Bank  of  Utah ;  director  of  the  Utah  Loan  and  Trust  Company, 
Ogden;  director  in  Z.  C.  M.  I.;  vice-president  of  George  Q.  Can- 
non &  Sons  Company ;  director  in  the  Co-operative  Furniture 
Company ;  first  vice-president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce ; 
the  owner  of  a  prosperous  book  and  stationery  business  in 
Ogden ;  he  had  also  been  an  active  promoter  of  canal  and  irri- 
gation company  enterprises,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Deseret 
Sunday  School  Union  Board,  to  the  duties  of  which  he  had 
given  much  attention. 

"In  the  vast  amount  of  labor  which  he  performed,  and  in 
which  he  never  seemed  to  tire,  it  may  be  said  that  during  the 
past  twenty  years  he  has  accomplished  much  more  than  many 


APOSTLE   ABRAHAM   H.   CANNON.  289 

truly  active,  energetic  men  have  been  able  to  do  in  double  that 
length  of  time." 

In  his  religious  life  and  duties  Elder  Cannon  was  scrupu- 
lously strict  and  energetic.  He  was  ever  found  ready  to  per- 
form whatever  was  required  of  him,  and  was  never  known  to 
shift  the  burden  to  other  shoulders.  He  was  a  true  disciple 
of  Christ,  conforming  to  every  principle  of  the  Gospel,  and  being 
perfectly  willing  to  suffer  for  the  'Master's  sake.  As  a  boy  and 
as  a  man  he  was  frank  and  fearless,  with  a  love  and  reverence 
fcr  things  holy  and  divine  that  was  sublime.  He  was  virtuous, 
thrifty,  honest,  upright  and  true.  An  incident  in  his  life,  which 
bespeaks  his  fidelity  and  zeal  for  the  Gospel,  was  when  he  was 
arraigned  before  Judge  Zane  aud  sentenced  to  six  months  in 
the  penitentiary  for  obeying  and  living  in  plural  marriage.  At 
that  time  he  was  but  twenty-six  years  of  age.  His  conviction 
for  the  right  and  his  loyalty  to  the  faith  led  him  to  say,  as  he 
stood  up  to  receive  the  judgment  of  the  court : 

"I  would  like  to  state  to  your  honor  that  I  have  always  en- 
deavored to  keep  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  because  I  have 
been  taught  by  my  parents  that  the  Constitution  was  a  sacred 
instrument.  That  I  have  failed  in  this  respect,  and  now  stand 
before  you  convicted  cf  the  crime  of  unlawful  cohabitation,  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  I  acknowledge  a  higher  law  than  that  of 
man,  which  is  the  law  of  God;  and  that  law  being  part  of  my 
religion,  sir,  I  have  attempted  to  obey  it.  When  I  embraced  this 
religion  I  promised  to  place  all  that  I  had,  even  to  life  itself, 
upon  the  altar,  and  I  expect  to  abide  by  that  covenant  which  I 
made;  and,  sir,  I  hope  the  day  will  never  come  when  I  must 
sacrifice  principle,  even  to  procure  life  or  liberty.  Honor,  sir, 
to  me,  is  higher  than  anything  else  upon  the  earth,  and  my 
religion  is  dearer  to  me  than  anything  else  that  I  have  yet  seen. 
I  am  prepared,  sir,  for  the  judgment  of  the  court." 

Apostle  Abraham  H.  Cannon  was  distinguished  for  his  deter- 
mination and  perseverance.  Whatever  he  undertook  to  perform 
he  worked  with  indefatigable,  steady  zeal  to  accomplish.  If  any 
failure  occurred  it  was  not  from  a  lack  of  ability  or  application, 
but  due  to  the  changeableness  of  circumstances  which  mortals 
have  not  power  to  control.  It  was  my  good  fortune  to  know 
him  in  boyhood.  In  his  studies  at  school,  while  he  did  not  dis- 
play the  brilliancy  and  rapidity  characteristic  of  some  young 
19 


290  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

men,  there  could  be  seen  a  steady  growth,  which  knew  no  inter- 
mission. It  was  onward  and  upward,  not  spasmodic,  but  one 
constant  forging  ahead  without  halting  or  retreating.  From  the 
time  he  was  called  to  the  Apostleship  until  his  decease,  he  grew 
spiritually  and  intellectually  with  a  rapidity  which  seems  to  us 
now  to  have  been  superhuman — a  preparation  for  the  world  to 
come.  In  council,  men  twenty  yeans  his  senior  showe'd  a  defer- 
ence to  his  judgment  as  being  remarkably  sound.  The  positions 
of  honor  and  responsibility  conferred  upon  him  in  business  life 
testify  to  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  associates 
in  life.  When  he  passed  away,  President  Woodruff  said  that  he 
would  miss  him  almost  as  much  as  any  man  could  be  missed  in 
the  councils  of  the  Priesthood,  notwithstanding  his  tender  years 
— thirty-seven — but  that  he  was  prepared  to  labor  in  a  higher 
sphere,  being  one  of  the  very  purest  and  best  of  the  Apostles  of 
the  Lamb.  The  Deseret  News,  at  the  time  of  his  demise,  pub- 
lished in  its  editorial  columns  this  beautiful  expression  of  love 
and  good  will : 

"Though  the  writer  is  speaking  of  his  brother,  the  son  of  his 
own  father  and  mother,  he  knows  that  tens  of  thousands  will 
affirm  his  words  when  he  says  that  Abraham  Hoiagland  Cannon 
was  one  of  the  brightest  and  noblest  spirits  that  ever  moved 
among  the  earth's  inhabitants.  His  years  were  far  too  few  to 
let  his  greatness  of  heart  and  soul  and  mind  become  fully  and 
widely  known,  but  those  who  knew  him  intimately,  and  could 
read  the  auguries  of  his  nature  and  character,  foresaw  in  him 
a  man  so  good  and  great  as  to  deserve  a  place  among  the  first 
of  those  who  were  born  to  bless  their  kind. 

"His  nature  was  always  sweet  and  amiable ;  his  heart  was 
always  tender  and  responsive;  his  sympathies  for  all  mankind 
were  boundless.  His  love  and  reverence  for  his  father  and  for 
his  mother,  in  her  lifetime — she  is  now  some  years  deceased — 
were  traits  of  a  soul  which  feels  the  strongest  and  deepest  emo- 
tions. His  attachment  for  his  parents,  his  regard  for  their 
wishes  and  obedience  to  their  counsels,  were,  from  his  earliest 
years,  marked  traits  of  a  noble  soul.  For  his  brothers  and  sis- 
ters he  always  felt,  and  by  cutward  demeanor  showed,  a  love 
that  was  a  type  of  what  such  an  affection  ought  to  be. 

"In  his  own  household  and  in  his  bearing  towards  his  wives 
iind  children,  he  was  most  loving,  tender  and  solicitous ;  ever 


APOSTLE   ABRAHAM    H.    CANNON.  291 

patient  and  ever  cheerful,  coming  as  near  to  the  fulfillment  of 
all  that  is  required  of  a  husband  and  father  as  the  weakness  of 
mortality  can  come.  Only  the  family  of  such  a  man  can  know 
what  such  a  man  is,  and  what  is  signified  by  his  departure  from 
this  world. 

"To  his  intimate  associates  and  employes  his  manner  was 
simplicity,  courtesy  and  kindness,  all  combined ;  and  to  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact,  whether  they  were  kinsmen,  co- 
religionists or  strangers,  he  showed  by  his  deportment  that  every 
act  of  his  life  was  sought  to  be  conformed  to  those  high  and 
clear  convictions  of  right  that  so  distinguished  his  lofty  mind. 

"The  writer  cannot  express  the  brotherly  affe'ction  that  has 
been  disrupted,  or  the  loss  he  has  sustained.  Though  the  elder 
by  two  years,  he  leaned  upon  him  who  has  gone,  and  in  the 
counsel  and  sympathy  that  were  ever  freely  given,  has  found  a 
safe  support.  -The  loss  can  never  be  repaired  until  the  meeting 
in  and  for  eternity  shall  take  place." 


APOSTLE  MATTHIAS  F.  COWLEY. 

(By  Elder  Ben  L.  Rich.) 

The  strong  fraternal  feeling  which  has  always  existed  be- 
tween Apostle  MATTHIAS  F.  COWLEY  and  my  father,  Ben  E. 
Rich,  and  the  high  regard  in  which  I  have  learned  from  my 
childhood  days  to  hold  the  name  of  Brother  Cowley,  make  it 
a  double  pleasure  to  be  permitted  to  write  a  brief  biographical 
sketch  of  him  who,  in  my  estimation1,  is  indeed  an  ideal  Apostle. 

In  these  days  of  selfishness  and  doubt,  when  most  men  devote 
their  time  and  employ  their  talents  to  the  getting  of  wealth, 
where  friendship  is  but  a  kind  of  commercial  •  devotion  and 
words  are  heard  spoken  everywhere  to  create  distrust  in  men 
and  unbelief  in  Gcd,  it  gives  comfort  -to  the  heart  to  learn 
that  there  are  in  the  midst  of  us  some  good  men  whose  entire 
live's  are  consecrated  to  unselfish  purposes,  and  whose  whole 
ambitions  are  to  make  men  happy  by  teaching  them  belief  in 
their  fellow  men  and  trust  in  their  Creator.  The  Apostles  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  are  even  such  noble  and  unselfish  men  and  most 
earnest  in  their  efforts  to  make  all  mankind  a  family  of  friends 
and  brothers.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  an  Apostle,  and  if 
all  men  were  like  him  and  his  associates  in  thought,  in  act, 
in  goodness,  what  a  world  would  we  have !  And  how  unlike  the 
world  would  it  be !  Contentment,  peace  and  love  would  be  in 
every  home,  angels  would  associate  with  men,  God  would  dwell 
among  us,  and  we  would  live  the  lives  of  celestial  kings  in  the 
great  eternity. 

Matthias  F.  Cowley  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  on 
the  25th  of  August,  1858,  at  a  time  when  the  valleys  of  the 
mountains  were  just  beginning  to  awaken,  after  the  slumber  of 
centuries,  through  the  hard  blows  of  the  Pioneers  and  early 
settlers.  His  father's  name  was  also  Matthias,  and  he  was  of 
Celtic  ancestry.  The  elder  Matthias  was  born  on  the  Isle  of 
Man,  emigrating  in  early  youth  with  his  parents  to  the  new 
world  and  settling  near  Nauvoo,  Illinois.  When  the  Prophet 
Joseph  iSmith  was  martyred  at  Carthage,  he  was  thirteen  years 


MATTHIAS  F.   COWLEY. 


294  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

of  age.  Soon  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Saints  from  their 
Nauvoo  homes  to  the  unsettled  West,  he  found  employment  in 
St.  Louis,  Missouri,  in  a  printing  office  as  apprentice.  Eight 
years  after  the  tragedy  at  Carthage  jail,  he  crossed  the  great 
plains  to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  five  years  later  he  married 
Sarah  Elizabeth  Foss,  who  came  to  Utah  from  the  state  of 
Maine  and  was  of  Puritan  extraction.  Thus  from  this  parent- 
age, the  father  of  pure  Celtic  stock,  the  mother  of  Puritan,  and 
both  familiar  with  religious  persecution  and  acquainted  with 
hardships  incident  to  the  settlement  of  a  new  country,  Matthias 
inherited  a  healthy  and  vigorous  body,  an  active  and  determined 
intellect,  a  mild  and  kind  disposition,  sympathetic  and  loving 
to  all  around  him. 

In  1864,  the  fathe'r  Cowley  passed  from  this  life  into  the 
great  beyond,  leaving  a  grief-stricken  wife  and  two  small  chil- 
dren. Two  had  died.  Matthias  was  the  eldest  of  the  four. 
Several  years  after  the  death  of  her  husband  Sister  Cowley 
was  married  to  Jesse  W.  Fox,  a  civil  engineer  of  early  Utah 
days  and  of  considerable  skill  and  popularity  in  his  profession. 
Brother  Fox  made  a  kind  and  provident  father  to  his  foster 
children  and  a  good  husband  to  the  widowed  mother.  In  those 
early  days  in  Utah  there  were  no  drones  in  society  and  people 
everywhere  earned  their  livelihood  by  hard  toil.  It  was  a 
struggle  then  in  which  every  capable  man,  woman  and  child 
did  his  or  her  part  towards  the  support  of  the  family  and  the 
Church.  Very  few  children  were  cradled  in  luxury  and  "fed 
from  silver  spoons."  Most  men  who  were  born  in  the  first 
decade  of  Deseret's  settlement  were  used  to  work.  Whatever 
education  they  possessed  had  been  obtained  at  spare  times  in 
winter  when  the  earth  lay  under  a  covering  of  ice  and  snow. 
They  were  brought  up  in  a  time  when  opportunities  for  school- 
ing were  scarce,  but  have  been  tutored  in  the  schoolroom  of 
experience.  They  are  self-made,  and  one  of  these  who  knows 
the  realities  of  life  and  who  has  overcome  difficulties  is  by  far 
more  manly  than  he  who  has  been  pampered  and  educated  in 
the  university  and  who  knows  the  theory  and  abstractions  of 
life.  Matthias  F.  Cowley  is  a  self-made  man.  When  only 
thirteen  years  old  he  gave  his  services  in  assistance  to  his  step- 
father in  surveying.  He  worked  in  laying  off  the  Utah  South- 
ern railway,  now  a  branch  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line  south  of 


APOSTLE   MATTHIAS   F.    COWLEY.  295 

Salt  Lake  City.  For  seven  summers  he  assisted  his  father 
in  civil  engineering.  During  the  winter  months  he  attended 
school  at  the  Deseret  University,  now  the  University  of  Utah, 
but  in  all  his  life  has  never  served  a  whole  school  year  at  a 
time.  His  scholastic  training  has  been  in  fragments  of  about 
three  months  a  year.  He  showed  that  he  possessed  good  brain 
and  a  strong  memory.  When  yet  a.  small  boy  his  mother,  a 
teacher,  and  whose  school  Matthias  had  attended,  delighted  in 
his  aptitude  for  learning  and  faculty  for  retaining  what  was 
taught  him.  When  later  he  attended  school  he  was  studious 
and  learned  easily.  His  mother  desired  that,  he  'fit  himself  for 
some'  profession,  or  learn  a  trade ;  but  for  some  cause,  he  ob- 
tained a  general  knowledge  of  things  rather  than  perfecting 
himself  in  any  one  line.  He  was  good-natured  and  slow  to 
anger,  was  a  favorite  with  'his  instructors  and  popular  among 
his  schoolmates.  He  had  a  greeting  for  everybody  and  every- 
body liked  him.  While  he  may  not  'have  realized  that  he  was 
learning  his  profession,  he  nevertheless  was  fitting  himself  for 
his  life  work  as  he  grew  to  manhood.  His  thoughts  always 
turned  to  the  serious  and  spiritual  rather  than  to  the  com- 
mercial. To  him  this  life  was  real  and  wonderful  and  he  often 
speculated  on  deep  questions.  He  thought  of  where  he  came 
from  and  where  he  was  going  when  he  left  this  life.  He  was 
honest,  prayerful  and  conscientious.  He  could  not  enter  a  sem- 
inary to  be  educated  for  the  ministry,  because  the  Church  to 
which  he  belonged  had  no  seminary ;  but  he  read  the  Bible 
and  enjoyed  the  Sunday  sermons  which  he  heard.  His  father 
and  mother  had  sacrificed  much  for  their  faith,  and  he  would 
not  shrink  from  duties  to  his  Maker  df  his  services  were  re- 
quired. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  Elder  Cowley  received  a  call  to  fill  a 
mission  in  the  Southern  States,  to  which  call  he  responded, 
and  forthwith  left  for  the  South  and  commenced  his  labors  in 
Kentucky,  from  which  he  went  to  Virginia.  Today  Elders 
traveling  in  Bland,  Tazewell  and  Smith  counties,  Virginia — 
Elder  Cowley's  old  field — meet  with  people  who  vividly  remein 
ber  the  youthful  preacher  and  speak  of  him  in  most  respectful 
terms.  In  Virginia  he  learned  to  express  his  thoughts  in  public 
by  the  aid  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  One  country  gentleman  remarked 
lately  to  a  missionary,  "that  young  Elder  Cowley  of  yours 


296  PROPHETS  AND  PATRIARCHS. 

is  the  preachingest  man  I  ever  heard."  Elder  Cowley  learned 
the  Gospel  and  was  not  backward  in  expounding  its  teach- 
ings. His  sermons  were'  forceful,  not  that  mechaniical  style 
which  comes  with  preparation  and  rehearslal,  but  a  spon- 
taneous, earnest,  unaffected  style  of  speaking,  a  kind  which 
holds  the  minds  of  men  and  carries  conviction  with  it.  He 
filled  a  successful  mission  and  assisted  in  bringing  114  people 
into  the  Church.  After  laboring  twenty-seven  months  without 
purse  or  scrip,  he  secured  a  release  to  return  to  his  mountain 
home.  Elder  Cowley  was  one  of  the  first  missionaries  called  to 
the  Southern  States  under  the  presidency  of  Elder  John  Mor- 
gan, his  name  appearing  eighth  on  the  mission  records.  Five 
months  elapsed  and  he  received  another  summons  to  a  mission 
to  the  Southland.  At  the  commencement  of  this  mission,  and 
notwithstanding  his  youthfulness,  President  John  Morgan 
placed  him  in  charge  of  a  company  of  -Saints  emigrating  to  Col- 
orado. President  Morgan  was  a*1  "  ;f  '"•<>  ^'d  not  think  Elder 
Cowley  too  young  to  lead  such  an  expedition,  ami  be  replied, 
"No,  you  may  trust  him  with  anythdng ;  he  is  eminently  capable 
of  discharging  his  duties  satisfactorily,  but  still  better,  he  is 
humble  and  always  relies  upon  the  arm  of  the  Almighty."  On 
his  return  trip  from  Colorado  he  met  his  companion,  Elder 
John  W.  Taylor,  at  St.  Louis,  and  together  they  proceeded  to 
tlie  State  of  Georgia,  where  they  prosecuted  their  work,  sowing 
seeds  of  truth  in  places  where  there  were  rocks  and  tares. 
They  endured  many  hardships  common  to  all  missionaries  of 
the  Latter-day  Church  who  go  out  into  the  world  for  their 
faith.  They  were  often  weary  from  long  marches  under  the 
Southern  sun;  they  were  often  hungry,  but  always  found 
friends  who  took  them  in,  and  provided  for  their  wants.  They 
bore  their  trials  with  glad  hearts  and  without  complaint.  From 
Georgia  Elder  Cowley  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  there,  with  Elder 
George  C.  Parkinson,  Geo.  E.  Howe,  and  local  'Saints,  they 
rented  an  assembly  hall  in  which  they  conducted  sacred  ser- 
vices. He  wrote  several  articles  for  the  St.  Louis  Globe- 
Demccrat  in  defense1  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Brother  Cow- 
ley  believed  that  time  spent  in  the  mission  work  was  time  spent 
for  his  God,  and  acting  upon  that  unselfish  belief  he  employed 
every  available  means  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  while  not 
engaged  in  writing  or  talking  for  his  cause,  he  carefully  read 


APOSTLE   MATTHIAS   F.    COWLEY.  297 

the  scriptures  and  stored  his  mind  with  words  of  wisdom.  The 
little  Bible  that  he  carried  was  one  which  his  father  had  owned, 
and  used  on  a  mission  in  England ;  while  using  his  book,  more 
than  at.  other  times,  he  iseemed  more  serious  and  spiritual  as  'if 
the  spirit  of  his  dead  sire  commune'd  with  and  gave  him  in1- 
spiration. 

In  the  spring  of  1882,  Elder  Cowley  accompanied  President 
Morgan  with  another  company  of  Saints  to  Colorado,  and 
returning  East,  interviewed  David  Whitmer  and  heard  him  bear 
a  strong,  earnest  testimony  that  he  had  seen  an  angel  of  God 
and  the  plates  from  which  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  trans- 
lated. In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  was  released  from 
his  duties  and  returned  home.  As  his  first 'mission  was  a  suc- 
cess, so  also  was  his  second.  He  had  performed  honorable  work 
and  left  his  name  on  the  lips  of  many  a  person  who  had  been 
made  to  rejoice  through  his  ministry. 

Elder  Cowley,  after  the  completion  of  his  second  mission, 
interested  himself  in  the  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement 
Association.  He  became  identified  with  the  organ  of  that  in- 
stitution, the  Contributor,  and  traveled  throughout  the  ter- 
ritory in  its  interest.  He  succeeded  in  increasing  the  circula- 
tion from  1,300  to  over  4,000.  He  infused  ne"w  life  into  the 
society.  May  21st,  1884,  the  first  day  the  Logan  Temple  opened 
its  doors  to  Temple  work,  he  was  honored  to  partake  of  its 
blessings,  securing  in  marriage  Miss  Abbie  Hyde,  daughter  of 
William  Hyde,  a  member  of  the  famous  Mormon  Battalion 
who  participated  in  that  memorable  march  to  California.  Elder 
Cowley  was  ordained  a  High  Priest  October  25th,  1884,  by 
Apostle  Francis  M.  Lyman,  and  the  same"  year  was  chosen  to 
preside  over  the  Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  of  Oneida  Stake,  Idaho,  having 
seventeen  organizations  under  his  supervision.  Three  years 
subsequently  he  was  chosen  a  counselor  to  President  George 
C.  Parkinson,  of  Oneida  Stake,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for 
ten  years.  He  ever  held  the  welfare  of  the  Saints  under  his 
jurisdiction  uppermost  in  his  endeavors  and  strove  always  for 
their  comfort  and  advancement.  He  commanded  the  respect 
and  won  the  love  of  his  people.  Every  widow  in  Oneida  Stake 
knows  Matthias  F.  Cowley,  because  he  has  done  something  or 
said  something  to  cheer  her  in  her  bereavement ;  every  orphan 
knows  him,  because  they  have  rceived  comforting  ministrations 


298  PROPHETS   AND    PATRIARCHS. 

from  him.  No  person  has  ever  been  turned  away  from  his 
door  hungry,  and  shelter  was  never  denied  a  wayfarer. 

At  the  general  conference  of  the.  Church  in  October,  1897, 
Brother  Cowley  was  called  to  the  quorum  of  the  Apostles  and 
sustained  in  that  calling  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  Saints. 
He  was  ordained  an  Apostle  by  President  George  Q.  Cannon. 
His  selection  was  unlocked  for  by  himself  or  his  friends,  but 
as  an  Apostle  he  will  be  successful,  because  he  will  win  the 
affections  of  the  whole  Church  and  because  success  is  a  part 
of  his  being.  However  unlooked-for  his  calling  to  the  Apostle- 
ship,  two  little  incidents  are  cited  to  show  that  it  had  been 
predicted.  When  he  was  ordained  a  Seventy  President  Joseph 
Young  officiating,  'staid :  "Your  name  corresponds  to  that  of 
an  Apostle  of  old,  and  you  shall  perform  a  similar  mission." 
Again,  Elder  John  W.  Taylor,  his  companion  in  Georgia,  in 
a  letter  to  him  under  date  of  March  19th,  1882,  said :  "If 
you  are  faithful,  the  day  will  come  when  you  will  become  one 
of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  in  all  the  world."  This  communication  was  sent  to 
Elder  Cowley  before  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  when 
he  was  a  poor,  obscure"  missionary,  fifteen  years  before  he 
received  his  high  commission. 

In  less  than  a  month  after  he  was  chosen  an  Apostle,  he  and 
Apostle  Lyman  commenced  a  tour  through  the  Southern  States, 
this  being  the  third  mission  Elder  Cowley  had  undertaken  in 
the  South.  His  mission  record  shows  that  when  he  entered 
upon  his  third  mission  his  number  was  2286,  there  having  been 
2188  missionaries  sent  out  during  the  interium  of  his  second 
and  third  Southern  missions.  From  the  South  the  two  Apos- 
tles went  to  the  Northern  and  Eastern  States  missions,  visiting 
Philadelphia,  New  York  and  Washington,  at  which  latter  place 
they  were  received  by  President  McKinley.  Apostle  Cowley 
since  his  ordination,  has  been  on  a  continuous  mission  to  the 
Northeast,  South  and  West.  His  three  Southern  and  one  Mon- 
tana mission  (which  latter  Elders  Stevenson  and  Cowley  were 
called  to  open  up)  prepared  him  for  his  missionary  career 
which  now  will  continue  until  his  hair  becomes  white  with  the 
frost  of  years. 

Apostle  Cowley  has  preached  the  Gospel  and  borne  his  testi- 
mony to  the  divinity  of  Joseph  Smith's  mission  in  every  State 


APOSTLE   MATTHIAS   F.   COWLKY.  299 

and  Territory  in  the  United  States,  excepting  Alaska  and  the 
foreign  additions,  and  doubtless  before  many  years  shall  have 
elapsed,  his  voice  will  be  heard  in  every  land  where  there  is 
Anglo-Saxon  people.  He  truly  is  a  missionary  Apostle.  . 

Apostle  Cowley  has  a  most  excellent  character.  He  is  simple 
in  his  manners  and  unassuming  at  all  times.  He  is  honest  in 
his  dealings  and  punctual  in  his  appointments.  He  was  never 
charged  with  vanity,  and  egotism  he  knows  not  of.  Humility 
is  his  constant  companion  and  love  and  purity  dwell  in  his 
heart.  He  always  has  the  interest  of  the  Church  uppermost  in 
his  thoughts.  When  the  Trans-Mississippi  Congress  was  held 
in  Ogden,  Utah,  in  1893,  he  was  appointed  a  delegate  from 
Idaho.  He  felt  his  weakness  to  accomplish  much  for  the  con- 
gress, in  attending  a  gathering  where  the  great  and  honored 
were  to  assemble,  but  remarked  that  he  would  go,  "for,"  said 
he,  "I  may  get  an  opportunity  of  explaining  the  Gospel  to  some 
stranger  and  say  a  good  thing  for  Zion1."  The  first  day  of  the 
Congress  found  Matthias  F.  in  a  seat  by  the  side  of  a  visitor 
from  Vermont,  to  whom  he  received  an  introduction.  The 
visitor,  a  lawyer  by  profession,  learned  that  his  companion  was 
a  "Mormon,"  and  commenced  to  ply  innumerable  questions  to 
him  concerning  "Mormonism."  He  became  very  much  interested 
in  his  Mormon  friend  and  accompanied  Mm  one  evening  to 
listen  to  a  lecture  by  Elder  B.  H.  Roberts  on  spiritualism. 
Elder  Cowley  remained  with  his  new  acquaintance  until  after 
midnight,  explaining  his  faith.  During  his  visit  to  Utah  the 
lawyer  was  introduced  to  President  Woodruff  and  confessed 
that  he  had  not  taken  so  keen  an  interest  in  any  subject  for 
years  as  he  had  taken  with  his  friend  Cowley  in  discussing 
"Mormonism."  Elder  Cowley  slept  with  him  one  night  and  it 
was  gray  in  the  East  before  they  closed  their  eyes.  In  the 
morning  the  lawyer  related  a  dream  that  he  had  during  his 
sleep ;  it  was  that  in  two  years  he  should  be  promoted  in  some 
way  through  Elder  Cowley's  labors  and  that  in  four  years 
Elder  Cowley  should  attain  a  position  of  high  responsibility. 
The  Congress  being  adjourned,  the  lawyer  visitor  left  the  Ter- 
ritory, but  two  years  thereafter  met  with  an  accident  which 
resulted  fatally.  Upon  hearing  the  results  of  the  accident, 
Elder  Cowley  performed  a  vicarious  work  for  his  friend,  thus 
promoting  him  through  his  labors,  and  in  four  years  Elder 


300  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

Cowley  was  called  to  be  an  Apostle,  by  which  calling  he  at- 
tained a  position  of  high  responsibility.  Thus  the  dream  had 
a  fulfillment. 

There  is  in  him  so  much  of  good  that  he  has  been  called  an 
"Israelite  without  guile."  He  has  every  reason  to  feel  satisfied 
with  his  achievements  and  success,  and  standing  today  in  the 
vigor  of  healthy  manhood,  the  possessor  of  a  strong  mind  and 
a  true  heart,  and  with  the  prayers  of  half  a  million  people  for 
his  preservation,  he  may  look  into  the  future  with  hope  and 
contentment  and  be  proud  of  his  faculties  and  possibilities  in 
his  great  mission  to  save  the  souls  of  men. 


APOSTLE  ABRAHAM  OWEN  WOODRUFF. 

ABRAHAM  OWEN  WOODRUFF  was  called  to  the  Apostleship 
when  only  twenty-six  years  of  age.  He  is  young  in  looks,  with 
an  open,  bright  countenance  which  indicates  an  honest  heart 
and  a  quick  intellect.  He  was  born  November  23d,  1872,  in 
Salt  Lake  City,  the  home  of  his  birth  being  a  two-roonied  log 
house  with  the  overhead  used  for  stoiing  grain  and  other  farm 
products  fcr  winter  use.  This  humble  dwelling  place  was  lo- 
cated on  his  father's  homestead  which  he  (President  Wilfcrd 
Woodruff)  erected  soon  after  coming  into  the  valley  with  the 
original  Pioneers  in  1847.  The  quaint  old  house  was  warmed 
in  the  old-fashicned  way,  by  means  of  <a  fireplace  furnished  with 
dog-irons.  Brother  Woodruff  is  his  mother's  youngest  sx>n, 
and  among  his  playmates  and  associates  he  was  familiarly 
known  as  "Owen."  From  both  his  progenitors  he  inherited 
habits  of  industry  which  are  essential  to  growth  in  every 
avenue  of  life.  His  boyhood  days  were  spent  on  Ms  father's 
homestead,  where  he  learned  to  hoe  corn,  plant  and  do  general 
farm  work.  This  work  gave  him  some  of  the  sturdiness  and 
hardihood  of  his  good  father  and  fitted  his  physique  for  hard- 
ships and  difficulties  which  all  usually  meet  in  the  battle  of 
life.  Of  his  early  school  days  he  says  that  he  "was  a  thick- 
headed scholar  and  more  mischievous  than  studious."  However, 
he  mastered  the"  first  elements  of  addition,  subtraction  and 
multiplication.  He  was  extremely  fond  of  fishing,  hunting  and 
all  outdoor  sports.  His  first  definite  enterprise  in  life  was  that 
of  gathering  watercress  from  Liberty  Park  springs  for  the 
market.  By  this  means  he  furnished  himself  with  pocket 
money,  which  was  used  only  for  the  necessary  things  of  life; 
money  earned  by  such  diligent  toil  was  too  valuable  to  be 
wasted  or  spent  in  useless  things.  At  the  age  of  ten  he  might 
have  been  seen  herding  cows  along  the  banks  of  the  Jordon,  or 
"taking  a  swim"  in  the  river  while  the  cattle  quietly  grazed. 
From  the  district  school  he  was  entered  upon  the  roll  of 
the  Latter-day  Saints  college.  His  tutors  were  Professors 


302  PROPHETS   AND  PATRIARCHS. 

Done,  Talmage  and  Maeser.  After  spending  five  years  in  this 
institution  he  entered  the  employ  of  Zion's  Saving  Bank  and 
Trust  company,  Salt  Lake  City,  but  did  not  seem  to  enjoy  his 
occupation.  While  so  engaged  he  received  a  call  to  perform 
a  mission  in  Europe.  He  had  just  passed  his  twenty-first  year. 
Of  this  mission  I  do  not  feel  that  I  can  do  better  than  take 
the  liberty  of  quoting  the  Juvenile  Instructor,  under  date 
of  December  1st,  1900  : 

"In  the  year  of  1893,  his  father  was  far  from  enjoying  his 
usual  good  health.  The  illness  of  his  father,  consequently, 
made  his  departure  to  a  foreign  land  not  a  very  easy  matter. 
But,  trusting  in  Providence  and  acquiescing  with  his  father's 
wishes,  he  started  for  the  Swiss  and  German  mission.  Within 
a  few  days  after  his  arrival  at  the  mission  headquarters  he 
was  appointed  to  labor,  without  a  companion,  in  Frankfort- 
on-the-Main,  at  which  place  he  was  instructed  to  open  a  mis- 
sion. A  very  charitable  family  opened  their  doors  to  him,  which 
materially  lessened  the  difficulties  under  which  he  was  to  begin 
his  labors.  The  first  task  before  him  was  that  of  mastering 
the  difficult  German  tongue.  But  this  good  family  gave  him 
willing  and  efficient  aid  in  his  task.  He  would  read  in  concert 
with  the  children,  finding  in  them  his  natural  teachers.  He 
would  arise  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  put  in  two 
hours  of  diligent  work  on  the  German  grammar.  He  did  not, 
however,  spend  all  his  time  in  studying  the  language  and  re- 
citing it,  but  with  singular  courage  and  characteristic  zeal  he 
set  about  his  "Father's  business."  He  distributed  tracts  during 
the  day  and  held  meetings  in  the  evening.  His  knowledge  of 
German  was,  of  course,  exceedingly  small,  but  he  straightway 
began  to  preach  and  to  expound  the  scriptures  in  a  broken, 
stammering  manner.  He  was  at  first  laughed  at,  but  nothing 
daunted,  he  prosecuted  his  labors,  and  in  an  exceedingly  short 
time  acquired  the  language.  It  came  to  him,  he  says,  as  a  gift. 

"After  five  months  of  aggressive,  'single-handed  labor,  a  com- 
panion was  sent  to  him,  and  in  a  short  time  a  branch  of  the 
Church  was  organized  where  he  had  labored.  Two  months 
more  elapsed,  when  he  was  called  to  the  presidency  of  the 
Dresden  branch.  Not  long  after  he  had  commenced  his  labors 
there,  he  dreamed  one  night  that  he  was  fishing  in  a  beautiful 
stream  of  water.  In  the  dream,  he  was  fortunate  enough  to 


ABRAHAM  OWEN  WOODRUFF. 


304  JMIOPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

catch  three  trout.  The  dream  proved  to  be  prophetic,  for  very 
soon  afterward  he  baptized  a  man,  his  wife  and  daughter.  The 
ordinance  was  performed  in  the  river  Elbe,  beneath  the  shade 
of  the  spreading  lindens,  en  the  exact  spot  where,  many  years 
before,  Elder  Budge  baptized  two  of  our  very  highly  respected 
brethren — Elders  Karl  G.  Maeser  and  F.  Schoenfeld. 

"Elder  Woodruff  at  this  time  had  great  pleasure  in  meeting 
and  preaching  to  the  old-time  associates  and  fellow  teachers 
of  these  brethren.  They  showed  him  great  respect  and  were 
courteous  in  their  attention  to  Elder  Woodruff,  but  it  seemed 
that  they  were  actuated  by  a  sense  of  regard  for  their  old  as- 
sociates rather  than  the  teachings  they  heard. 

"While  he  was  presiding  over  this  new  conference,  Elder 
Woodruff  spent  much  of  his  time  in  distributing  the  written 
word  in  the  villages  that  border  the  Elbe,  extending  from 
Dresden  to  Bohemia.  He  even  entered  one  Bohemian  Village 
and  deliveTed  his  message  there.  He  was  called  from  Dresden 
to  Berlin,  over  which  conference  he  presided  one  year.  This 
conference  comprehended  such  cities  as  Berlin,  Stettin,  Soreau 
and  Broskau.  While  laboring  there  the  civil  officials  under- 
took the  banishment  of  the  Mormon  Elders,  and  in  order  that 
the  good  work  might  not  be  stayed,  the  Elders  were  often  com- 
pelled to  employ  most  subtle  methods  in  order  to  carry  on  their 
labors  without  detection  and  consequent  interruption.  At 
Ernest,  Elder  Woodruff  was  disguised  as  a  country  swain.  He 
donned  the  rude  garb  and  heavy  clogs  and  with  the  other 
peasants  toiled  in  the  shop  or  field  during  the  day.  With  his 
fellow  rustics,  he  ate  the  black  bread  and  smear.  No  sooner, 
however,  did  the  evening  shades  fall  than  he  would  meet  in 
some  humble  cottage  a  company  of  eager  Saints,  who  would 
perchance  bring  some  trusted  friend  with  them  whom  they 
hoped  to  lead  into  the  Gospel  light.  One  thing  that  impressed 
Brother  Woodruff  deeply  was  the  absolute  trustworthiness  of 
those  country  Saints.  He  found  them  as  true  as  steel  and  never 
were  they  known  to  disappoint  an  Elder  or  betray  his  confidence 
in  those  trying  times. 

"At  this  juncture,  a  furlough  was  granted  him,  during  which 
he  made  a  most  enjoyable  tour  of  the  greatest  European  cities. 
He  visited  Austria  and  Italy,  and  spent  the  Fourth  of  July  in 
Geneva.  He  spent  ten  days  in  Rome  visiting,  among  other 


APOSTLE  ABRAHAM  OWEN  WOODRUFF.  305 

places,  the  Vatican.  From  there  he  went  to  Naples,  Pompeii, 
and  Herculaneum.  Having  read  Bulwer-Lytton's  fascinating 
novel,  these  latter  two  places  were  exceptionally  delightful  to 
him.  He  then  returned  to  the  mission  and,  after  reviewing  his 
old  field  of  labor,  received  a  release  and  returned  home,  having 
performed  a  faithful  and  acceptable  mission. 

"Elder  Woodruff  reached  his  native  city  in  1896.  For  a 
short  time  he  resumed  his  work  in  the  bank.  On  the  30th 
of  June  he  was  married  to  Miss  Helen/  May  Winters.  During 
October  conference  of  the  same  year  he  was  called  to  the 
Apostleship,  and  on  the  7th  day  of  October  was  ordained  to  that 
office  by  his  father." 

In  the  later  years  of  his  father's  life  he  was  his  close  com- 
panion, and  gathered  from  this  worthy  sire  many  lessons  of 
great  worth  which  President  Woodruff  had  acquired  in  a  well 
spent  life  of  pure  and  true  devotion  to  God.  One  striking 
tendency  and  characteristic  of  Brother  Owen  Woodruff  since 
his  call  to  the  Apostleship  is  an  eager  interest  in  colonizing  new 
locations  for  the  settlement  of  the  Saints.  From  the  outset  he 
has  had  charge  of  the  Big  Horn,  Wyoming,  settlement.  He  has 
been  there  several  times,  assisted  chiefly  by  President  Joseph 
W.  McMurrin,  and  thus  far  has  manifested  wisdom  and  devoted 
interest  to  its  growth  and  development.  Apostle  Woodruff, 
like  his  honored  and  respected  father,  is  humble  yet  perfectly 
confident  of  the  favorable  outcome  of  every  responsibility  as- 
signed him  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the  Lord,  for  he 
is  possessed  of  a  strong  and  abiding  faith.  He  is  noted  for 
unhesitating  obedience  to  the  suggestions  of  the  Prophet  of 
the  Lord,  and  when  set  to  accomplish  any  task  he  never  doubts 
or  quibbles  or  wishes  that  another  had  to  bear  the  brunt  of  any 
labor  assigned  to  him.  When  appointed  to  any  labor,  he  works 
with  all  his  might,  mind  and  strength,  coupled  with  implicit 
faith  in  our  eternal  Father.  He  is  young,  healthy,  active  and 
faithful  in  his  high  calling  and  will  doubtless  accomplish  a 
mighty  work  in  the  earth,  and  live  to  see  the  redemption  of 
Zion. 


20 


APOSTLE  RUDGER  CLAWSON. 

Perhaps  no  Apostle  of  the  Church,  in  such  a  brief  time  in 
these  days,  has  passed  through  more  diversities  and  ordeals 
than  has  Elder  RUDGER  CLAWSON.  In  1857,  at  Salt  Lake 
City,  March  12th,  he  first  saw  the  light  of  day,  Bishop  H.  B. 
Clawson  and  Margaret  Gay  Judd  Clawson  being  the  honored 
parents  of  the  "new  comer"  to  mortality.  From  his  early 
boyhood  he  has  been  religiously  inclined,  seeking  for  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  things  of  God  in  preference  to  all  other  pursuits. 
He  seems  to  have  taken  special  interest  in  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
and  if  one  would  follow  closely  his  sermons  and  discourses, 
this  fact  will  be  noticeable,  for  he  is  able  to  quote  copiously 
from  that  sacred  record.  His  own  testimony  in  this  regard  is : 
"Early  in  life  I  became  deeply  interested  in  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon, which  I  read  and  re-read,  and  drew  from  its  divine  pages 
inspiration  and  hope.  Faith  sprang  up  in  my  heart.  By  a 
careful  study  of  that  glorious  book,  well  defined  ideas  of  right 
and  wrong  were  firmly  fixed  in  my  youthful  mind,  and  I  was 
then  measurably  able  to  withstand  the  temptations  that  as- 
sailed me  and  was  able  to  escape  many  of  the  sins  and  follies 
to  which  seme  of  the  young  are  addicted.  With  advanced  years 
conviction  has  constantly  grown  upon  me  that  the  Book  of 
Mormon  is  the  grandest  book  of  the  age."  His  words  in  rela- 
tion to  this  Book  may  well  be  supplemented  by  what  he  once 
said  about  going  to  meeting:  "I  remember  the  interest  I  felt 
as  a  boy,  in  the  Sunday  meetings  at  the  Old  Tabernacle,  and 
later  in  the  large  New  Tabernacle.  The  sermons  of  Presidents 
Brigham  Young,  Heber  C.  Kimball,  George  A.  Smith  and  the 
Apostles  and  Elders  made  a  profound  impression  on  my  mind 
for  good.  From  my  own  experience  I  am  led  to  believe  that  the 
effects  and  influence  of  the  teachings  of  our  leaders  upon  the 
youth  of  Zion — I  mean  the  very  small  boys  and  girls,  who  in 
the  midst  of  the  congregations  sit  almost  unnoticed — is  greater 
than  many  suppose. 

Elder   Clawson   while   attending  school   was  also  a   member 


RUDGER  CLAWSON. 


308  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

of  the  Wasatch  Literary  Society,  which  has  produced  not  a  few 
men  who  have  occupied  prominent  places  in  business  and  re- 
ligious circles.  When  only  eighteen  years  old,  having  left 
school  but  a  few  months,  he  became  private  secretary  to  Hon. 
John  W.  Young,  the  president  of  the  Utah  Western  Railway 
company.  In  his  employment  he  spent  two  years  in  the  East, 
the  major  portion  of  the  time  in  the  city  of  New  York,  although 
he  visited  most  of  the  prominent  cities.  This  experience,  for 
one  so  young,  was  invaluable,  and  served  him  to  good  purpose. 
At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he  was  called  to  fill  a  mission  in  the 
Southern  States.  The  records  of  that  mission  show  him  to 
be  "No.  34."  It  was  while  laboring  in  the  State  of  Georgia 
that  his  bosom  friend  and  companion,  Elder  Joseph  Standing, 
was  brutally  assassinated  by  a  wicked  mob. 

Apostle  Clawson  is  of  a  strong  character.  Early  impres- 
sions of  the  truth  were  developed  in  his  mind  from  the  teachings 
of  his  parents,  from  reading  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  attending 
services  in  the  Tabernacle.  The  habits  of  his  youth  were  re- 
markably clean  and  pure,  just  such  a  person  as  is  designed  to 
grow  in  grace  and  knowledge  of  the  truth  because  entitled  to 
a  companionship  of  the  Holy  Spirdt ;  not  a  flashy  intellect,  but 
one  susceptible  of  deep,  strong  convictions  which,  when  one 
idea  is  learned,  readily  adds  another  related  to  the  first  and 
remarkably  capable  in  a  quiet,  unostentatious  way  to  apply 
the  knowledge  acquired.  He  is  a  man  of  cool  temperament  and 
moral  courage  of  the  highest  type.  His  experience  at  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  Elder  Joseph  Standing  proved  him  to  be"  of  the  ma- 
terial of  which  martyrs  are  made.  The  danger  to  himself  and 
President  John  Morgan  at  the  trial  of  the  murders  in  Dalton, 
Ga.,  was  not  a  trifling  one,  and  the  presence  of  mind  displayed 
on  these  occasions  proved  Brother  Clawson  to  be  a  man  of  no 
ordinary  strength  of  character.  His  three  years'  experience  in 
the  Utah  Penitentiary,  for  conscience  sake,  was  a  period  of 
patient  suffering,  yet  many  incidents  associated  with  it  stamp 
him  as  a  man  among  men,  a  man  of  courage,  patience  and 
determination  to  rise  above  the  conditions  which  sometimes 
break  the  spirit  of  the  ordinary  mortal.  Elder  Clawson  was 
placed  in  prison  for  doing  what  he  knew  to  be  his  duty,  obeying 
a  law  of  God.  Like  other  valiant  men  when  given  the  oppor- 
tunity of  freedom  in  exchange  for  conscience,  he  announced 


APOSTLE   RUDGER  CLAWSON.  309 

to  the  court  that  when  there  was  a  conflict  between  the  laws 
of  God  and  of  man  he  would  obey  God  and  suffer  the  conse- 
quences. The  grand  trait  of  his  character  herein  expressed 
was  not  a  sentiment  of  words  with  him.  It  was  and  is  the 
living,  unchanging  character  of  the  man.  He  has  lived  his 
professions,  and  under  every  condition  has  served  God  and  not 
man.  Duty,  not  pleasure,  is  ever  his  choice.  His  efficiency  in 
presiding  over  the  Box  Elder  Stake  of  Zion  was  discerned  by 
President  Snow  while  yet  they  were  prisoners  together  in  the* 
penitentiary.  During  his  presidency  there  he  won  the  confidence 
and  esteem  as  well  as  the  love  of  all  right-feeling  Latter-day 
Saints.  He  accomplished  much  to  advance  the  interests  of 
the  Saints  in  spiritual  and  temporal  affairs.  When  the  Taber- 
nacle in  Brigham  City  was  burned,  he  went  quietly  yet  firmly 
to  work  for  its  reconstruction.  He  obtained  contributions  from 
Non-"Mormon"  business  men  in  Salt  Lake  City  and  Ogden, 
even  from  the  judge  who  had  sentenced  him  to  prison.  In 
rebuilding  the  tabernacle,  President  Clawson  proved  his  prac- 
tical judgment  in  constructing  a  house  of  worship  by  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  remodeled  it,  making  it,  inside,  one  of  the  best 
tabernacles,  if  not  the  very  best  for  ease  and  convenience,  of 
any  of  its  size  in  the  Church.  While  thus  presiding  he  was 
called  to  the  Apostles'hip  and  has  become  one  of  the  soundest, 
wisest  and  most  capable  counselors  and  Apostles  in  the  Church. 
At  the  general  conference  held  in  Salt  Lake  City  in  October, 
1901,  Apostle  Clawson  was  called  to  the  First  Presidency,  being 
made  Second  Counselor  to  President  Lorenzo  Snow.  He  held 
this  distinguished  position  but  a  short  time,  the  death  of  the 
President  making  a  reorganization  necessary,  this  resulting  in 
the  choice  by  President  Joseph  F.  Smith  of  Elders  John  R. 
Winder  and  A.  H.  Lund  as  his  Counselors. 

Brother  Clawson  is  a  very  competent  bookkeeper,  and  is  so 
thorough  ?n  auditing  accounts  and  ascertaining  the  true  condi- 
tion of  financial  enterprises,  that  in  the  financial  affairs  of  the 
Church  he  is  always  safe  authority.  He  is  truly  a  grand 
man.  Those  who  know  him  best  love  him  most.  He  is  indeed 
an  Apostle  of  the  Lord  and  a  great  worth  to  his  people. 


APOSTLE  REED  SMOOT. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
January  10th,  18G2.  His  father,  Abraham  Owen  Smoot,  was 
of  Kentucky  birth,  and  his  mother,  Anna  Kerstina  Morrison, 
came  from  Norway;  thus  did  he  possess  the  bold,  fearlessness 
of  the  sturdy  Norsemen  and  the  courage,  trustworthiness,  honor 
and  hospitality  of  the  Kentuckian.  From  his  youth  he  has  been 
energetic  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  forming  plans,  shaping 
ends  and  never  resting  satisfied  until  the  mark  set  was  reached. 
In  early  life  it  appears  that  Brother  Smoot  sought  after  the 
material  with  more  earnestness  and  vigor  than  he  did  the 
spiritual.  He  was  not  religiously  inclined  and  his  tendencies 
seem  to  have  launched  him  upon  a  temporal  wave.  This  is 
duly  true  of  his  early  youth,  for  as  he  began  to  grow  in  years 
he  also  grew  in  grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  In 
all  'his  habits  he  was  temperate  and  moral  in  his  character, 
with  a  determined  will,  and  active  mind  and  a  loving,  generous 
heart. 

Almost  twenty-seven  years  ago,  his  father,  President  Smoot, 
pronounced  a  patriarchal  blessing  upon  him  in  which  these 
prophetic  words  were  uttered  :  "Thou  shalt  be  associated  in 
the  labors  with  the  wise  counselors  of  Israel,  and  if  thou  art 
faithful,  though  shalt  not  be  a  whit  behind  the  chief est  cf  the 
Apostles."  This  was  an  inspired  prediction,  and  from  a  worldly 
point  of  view  it  did  not  appear  at  all  probable  of  fulfillment. 
When  we  consider  the  fact  that  at  the  time  of  the  promise 
Brother  Smoot  was  a  mere  lad  between  twelve  and  thirteen 
years  of  age — November  24th,  1874 — we  at  once  observe  that 
the  Spirit  of  Almighty  God  actuated  the  honored  sire  who  pro- 
nounced the  blessing.  His  parents  taught  him  in  the  iioly 
precepts  of  God's  laws,  and  the  lessons  he  received  in  childhood 
ripened  in  his  mature  years  and  bore  fruit  to  the  honor  and 
glory  of  God.  His  first  schoolroom  was  in  the  house  of  Bishop 
George  Romney,  where  he  was  tutored  for  one  season  under 
the  charge  of  Miss  Barbara  Romney.  This  was  in  the  year 
1868.  The"  next  year  he  attended  the  Ward  school  and  continued 


REED  SMOOT. 


312  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

there  until  1870.  His  father  and  a  portion  of  the  family  had 
moved  to  Provo  in  1868,  and  about  1872  Reed  also  took  up  his 
abode  in  that  city.  Bishop  O.  F.  Whitney  has  this  to  say  in 
a  brief  treatise  on  the  life  of  Apostle  Reed  Smoot : 

"Elder  Smoot's  ecclesiastical  record  is  as  follows:  He  was 
baptized  at  eight  years  of  age  in  the  Endowment  House  at  'Salt 
Lake  City,  and  was  ordained  a  Deacon  July  15th,  1877.  In 
1879  he  was  made  a  Priest  and  in  April,  1800,  an  Elder.  Four- 
years  later  he  was  ordained  a  Seventy  by  Elder  Abraham  H. 
Cannon,  one  of  the  First  Council  of  Seventies,  and  in  April, 
1895,  was  ordained  a  High  Priest  under  the  hands  of  President 
Joseph  F.  Smith.  At  the  same  time  he  was  appointed  second 
counselor  to  President  Edward  Partridge,  who  had  succeeded 
President  A.  O.  Smoot,  deceased,  as  the  presiding  authority  of 
the  Utah  Stake  of  Zion.  Elder  Smoot  continued  to  serve  as  one 
of  the  presidency  of  that  Stake  until  called  to  the  Apostleship 
on  the  8th  day  of  April,  1900.  The  same  day  he  was  sustained 
in  that  exalte'd  position  by  the  voice  of  the  general  conference, 
and  was  ordained  an  Apostle  by  President  Lorenzo  Snow  on 
the  day  following. 

"While  a  member  of  the  Utah  Stake  presidency  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  raise  means  to  pay  off  the  debt  then  hanging  over 
the  unfinished  Stake  Tabernacle,  and  to  complete  that  struc- 
ture. This  duty  he  performed  with  his  usual  promptitude  and 
success,  the  debt  being  cancelled  and  the  building  completed 
accordingly.  He  has  acted  for  years  as  one  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  Brigham  Young  Academy,  and  is  a  member  of 
its  executive  committee.  He  solicited  subscriptions  for  and  was 
the  main  instrument  in  the  erection  of  the  new  college  hall, 
an  adjunct  to  the  Academy,  in  the  success  of  which  he  has  ever 
been  deeply  interested. 

"It  can  be  truly  said  of  Apostle  Smoot  that  he  has  never 
sought  preferment,  either  civil  or  ecclesiastical.  He  has  worked 
honestly  and  faithfully  at  whatever  he  had  in  hand,  industry 
and  continuity  being  his  watchwords,  recognized  by  him,  even 
while  a  boy,  as  the  keys  to  success  and  prosperity,  and  his  tal- 
ents and  his  labors  alone  have  recommended  him  for  promo- 
tion. This  accounts  for  the  general  feeling  of  satisfaction 
manifested  by  the  vast  congregation,  whiich,  in  the  afternoon 
of  Sunday,  April  18th,  1900,  at  the  great  Tabernacle  in  Salt 


APOSTLE  REED    8MOOT.  313 

Lake  City,  voted  unanimously,  with  their  hearts  as  well  as 
their  hands,  to  sustain  him  as  one  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  Much  of  this 
good  feeling  was  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  many  present 
were  acquainted,  not  only  with  the  marked  ability  of  this  young 
man,  but  with  the  good  and  wise  use  that  he  has  made  of  that 
ability  and  of  the  means  it  has  enabled  him  to  accumulate. 

"Many  know  of  the  valuable  aid  that  Reed  Smoot  has  ren- 
dered from  time  to  time  in  a  financial  and  executive  way  to 
this  or  that  struggling  institution,  but  few  are  aware  of  how 
numerous  are  his  private  acts  of  beneficence.  Truly  'has  it 
been  said  that  ostentatious  charity  insults  the  misery  it  would 
relieve.  Reed  Smoot's  charity  is  not  of  that  kind.  He  does 
not  ask  a  friend  in  trouble,  "What  can  I  do  for  you?"  or  say, 
"If  there  is  anything  you  want,  let  me  know,"  thus  throwing 
upon  the  afiTicted  soul  an  additional  burden  and  subjecting  it 
to  unnecessary  humiliation.  He  shrewdly  sees  the  need  and 
tactfully  supplies  it,  without  speaking  or  awaiting  a  word. 
And  this  is  charity,  true  charity,  for  it  is  generosity,  it  is  big- 
ness of  heart,  and  as  far  outsoars  mere  almsgiving  as  the  eagle 
outsoars  the  swan. 

In  person  Apostle  Smoot  is  tall  and  well  built,  though  his 
unusual  height  makes  him  appear  almost  slender  in  frame. 
He  moves  with  the  rapid,  energetic  stride  characteristic  of  the 
rustling  business  man.  He  is  punctual  dn  keeping  his  ap- 
pointments, and,  as  he  says,  owes  his  greatest  losses  in  time 
to  the  failure  of  other  men  to  promptly  keep  theirs.  He  pos- 
sesses a  fearless  candor,  "speaks  right  out  in  meeting,"  says 
exactly  what  he  thinks,  and  yet  is  courteous,  considerate  and 
kind-hearted.  He  expresses  himself  with  intelligence,  earnest- 
ness and  humility,  both  by  tongue  and  pen.  His  genius  is 
practical  and  progressive.  As  a  financier  and  an  executive, 
his  talents  are  of  the  first  order,  and  the  fallacy  is  long  since 
exploded  that  the  Lord  has  need  of  but  one  class  of  men  in  any 
department  of  His  mighty  and  marvelous  work.  "My  duty 
first,  my  pleasure  afterwards,"  may  be  said  to  be  our  Apostle's 
favorite  motto,  one  that  he  faithfully  exemplifies,  and  this  is 
just  as  true  since  the  great  spiritual  awakening  experienced 
by  him  as  the  result  of  his  foreign  mission  and  his  appointment 
as  one  of  the  presidency  of  the  Utah  Stake,  as  it  was  when  he 


314  PROPHETS  AND  PATRIARCHS. 

was  devoting  himself,  heart  and  soul,  almost  entirely  to  com- 
mercial pursuits." 

Elder  Smoot  has  risen  from  the  humblest  walks  of  life, 
spiritually  and  financially,  by  virtue  of  true  merit.  In  many 
respects,  especially  along  financial  lines,  his  experience  has 
been  very  similar  to  that  of  Apostle  Heber  J.  Grant.  At  an 
early  date  he  felt  the  inspiration  of  business  pursuits,  and  from 
an  humble  laborer  in  the  Z.  C.  M.  I.  at  Provo,  he  rose  rapidly 
to  the  station  of  superintendent.  In  mining,  merchandizing, 
sheep  industry,  banking  and  other  vocations  he  has  displayed 
marked  ability  and  has  become  one  of  Utah's  leading  business 
men.  He  has,  while  not  holding  political  office,  acquired  promi- 
nence in  political  circles.  He  enjoys  the  acquaintance  and 
confidence  of  the  present  National  Administration,  many  of 
whose  members  would  gladly  have  welcomed  him  to  Washing- 
ton in  the  capacity  of  United  States  Senator.  He  could  have 
received  the  hearty  support  of  the  legislature,  but  felt  it  his 
duty  to  decline,  for,  as  heretofore  stated,  duty  is  always  first 
with  Apostle  Smoot,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  temptations 
and  inducements  held  out  for  his  consideration.  Elder  Smoot 
performed  a  good  mission  in  Europe,  laboring  in  the  Liverpool 
office,  traveling  in  the  field,  visiting  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  was  especially  useful  in  matters  of  emigration.  He  was 
efficient  as  a  counselor  in  the  presidency  of  the  Utah  Stake, 
and  now  as  an  Apostle  of  the  Lord,  'his  counsel  and  judgment 
are  esteemed  as  the  choicest  value.  He  is  ever  on  hand  to  fill 
any  call  and  ready  at  all  times  to  advocate  the  cause  of  Zion 
in  public  and  private.  He  is  honest  and  frank  in  his  expres- 
sions. When  he  gives  his  views  you  know  exactly  what  he 
means.  He  has  strong  convictions  and  is  truly  a  leader  with 
noble  traits  and  qualities  among  the  people  of  God. 


APOSTLE  HYRUM  M.  SMITH. 

HYRUM  MACK  SMITH,  always  known  among  his  associates 
as  the  "Peace-maker,"  was  the  first  son  of  his  parents — 
Joseph  F.  and  Edna  Lambscn  Smith — and  was  born  on  the 
21st  day  of  March,  1872,  in  Salt  Lake  City.  He  was  very 
carefully  guarded  by  his  mother,  who  was  loath  to  let  him  out 
of  her  sight,  and  who,  in  his  younger  days,  would  never  permit 
him  or  his  brothers,  to  go  beyond  the  confines  of  the  garden 
gate  alone.  He  was  safely  tucked  away  in  bed,  long  after 
he  reached  the  age  of  hundreds  of  the  boys — and  girls,  too — 
that  we  now  see  playing  in  the  streets  until  late  at  night. 

His  mother,  a  woman  of  strong  character  and  great  faith, 
often  gathered  her  children,  and  many  of  the  children  of  her 
neighbors,  round  the  hearthstone  and  spent  hours  relating  to 
her  never-tiring  listeners  the  stories  of  the  Bible,  Book  of 
Mormon,  and  of  the  history  of  the  restoration  of  the  Gospel 
and  early  rise  of  the  Church.  The  lives  of  Joseph,  Moses, 
Samuel,  David,  our  Savior,  and  His  Apostles,  were  vividly  con- 
trasted with  those  of  Pharaoh,  Saul,  Judas,  Herod  and  Nero. 
The  great  faith  and  obedience  of  Nephi,  Jacob,  Alma,  Mormon 
and  Moroni  were  clearly  portrayed  to  be  vastly  better  and 
more  acceptable  to  the  Lord  than  the  doubt,  wickedness  and 
murderous  apostasy  of  Laman,  Lemuel,  Sherem,  Korihor  and 
Gadianton.  The  visions  of  Joseph  Smith,  his  trials  and 
persecutions ;  the  rise  of  the  Church ;  the  patient  toilings  of 
the  Saints  in  building  a  city  and  temple  to  the  Lord,  only 
to  be  driven  by  a  murderous  mob  of  wicked  men,  beyond  the 
boundaries  of  civilization,  there  to  build  another  city  and 
temple ;  the  final,  cruel  murder  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  and 
his  brother,  "the  grandfather  of  you  children;"  the  destruction 
of,  and  expulsion  from  their  beautiful  city  of  Nauvoo ;  the 
long,  weary  march  across  the  desolate  plains,  and  the  halt 
upon  the  most  desolate,  forbidding  spot  of  all,  where  their 
prophet  leader,  striking  his  cane  into  the  parched  soil,  ex- 
claimed, "It  is  enough.  This  is  the  right  place,"  were  all 


316  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

most  vividly  described  and  indelibly  impressed  upon  the 
minds  of  the  little  ones.  All  these  things  Hyrum  eagerly 
drank  in  and  pondered  upon.  His  father,  President  Joseph 
P.  Smith,  would  also  gather  round  him  his  boys  and  girls  and 
teach  them  to  shun  evil,  to  be  honest  and  truthful,  associate 
with  no  bad  companions,  and,  with  picture  and  narrative, 
show  them  the  results  of  doing  right  and  wrong.  Thus 
were  Hyrum  and  the  other  children  made  the  companions  of 
their  parents,  friends  unto  whom  they  could  go  at  all  times, 
and  pour  out  the  inmost  secrets  of  their  hearts  in  full  con- 
fidence. He  grew  up,  developing  to  a  marked  degree  the 
boundless  love  and  impartial  affection  which  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  see  his  father  and  mother  mete  out  to  their  chil- 
dren, and  his  father  to  his  wives.  Until  he  left  the  paternal 
rcof  of  his  parents  he  would  be  visited  by  that  ever  loving 
father,  who  must  still  kiss  him  and  tuck  the  covers  snugly 
around  him.  Even  today,  whenever  father  and  son  meet,  in 
the  home,  on  the  street,  in  the  office,  it  matters  not  where, 
they  meet  with  an  affectionate  and  holy  kiss.  I  have  heard 
his  wife  banter  him  and  say,  "Hyrum  is  the  biggest  baby  I 
ever  saw;  I  believe  he  would  die  if  he  could  not  go  home 
and  see  his  mother  every  day."  He  was  taught  to  love 
his  home,  an4  there  he  could  always  be  found  when  no 
duty  called  him  away. 

He  attended  the  public  schools,  and  later  the  Latter-day 
Saints  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  June,  1894-  On 
the  15th  of  November,  1895,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ida 
Bowman,  of  Ogden,  and  on  the  evening,  of  the  next  day 
he  departed  on  a  mission  to  Great  Britain.  Upon  arriving 
at  Liverpool  he  was  appointed  to  labor  in  the  Leeds  con- 
ference, where  he  engaged  in  regular  missionary  work.  In 
October,  1896,  he  was  called  to  preside  over  the  Newcastle 
conference,  which  position  he  held  until  he  was  honorably 
released  to  return  home  in  February,  1898. 

Upon  arriving  home  he  was  at  once  set  apart  as  a  home 
missionary.  He  also  acted  as  assistant  teacher  and  as  cor- 
responding secretary  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Quorum  of  Seventy ; 
he  was  employed  at  Z.  G.  M.  I,  where  he  remained  until 
October  30th.  1901. 

When    the    Salt    Lake    Stake    was    divided    he    became    a 


HYRUM  M.  SMITH. 


318  PROPHETS   AND   PATRIARCHS. 

resident  of  Granite  Stake.  Here  also  he  labored  as  a  home 
missionary,  and  later  was  called  to  act  as  Stake  secretary 
of  the  Sunday  schools,  which  office  he  filled  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  the  stake  authorities.  He  was  chosen  to  be  one  of 
the  Twelve  Apostles,  by  the  spirit  <of  revelation,  on  October 
24th,  1901,  and  ordained  by  his  father  on  the  same  day. 

He  is  a  young  man  who  has  striven  to  profit  by  the  excel- 
lent teachings  he  has  received  from  his  parents.  He  gives 
his  parents  and  the  Lord  the  credit  for  enabling  him  to  say 
that  up  to  the  present  time  he  has  never  tasted  tea,  coffee, 
tobacco  nor  intoxicating  drinks  of  any  kind;  that  he  has 
never  taken  the  name  of  God  in  vain,  nor  befouled  his  mouth 
with  profanity ;  that  he  has  never  in  his  life  spoken  dis- 
respectfully of  his  parents,  but  that  he  honors  and  loves  them 
with  all  his  soul ;  that  he  has  always  defended  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Gospel  and  the  servants  of  the  Lord ;  that  he  has  a 
testimony  for  himself  that  God  lives,  and  tnat  Joseph  Smith 
was  the  prophet  through  whom  He  restored  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  in  these  latter  days,  and  that  he  hopes,  by  the 
help  of  the  Lord,  to  ever  be  found  working  diligently  or  bat- 
tling, if  need  be,  in  defense  of  the  truth. 

We  think  it  not  saying  too  much,  that  no  man  has  been 
called  to  the  Apostleship  with  a  clearer,  purer  and  better 
record,  and  before  whom  there  is  a  brighter  prospect  of  growth 
in  wisdom,  knowledge  and  power.  He  will  have  the  love 
and  approval  of  the  Lord  and  the  cheerful  support  of  all  the 
Saints.  May  bis  life  be  a  long  and  useful  one  to  th|e 
cause  of  Truth. 


COWLEY'S   TALKS 


ON 


DOCTRINE 


One  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-Day  Saints. 


•21 


PUBLISHED  BY 
EJ  N  .    K.    RICH 

CHATTANOOGA,  TENN. 
1902. 


PREFACE. 


OTWITHSTANDING  what  has  already  been  written  upon 
the  principles  and  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
taught  by  the  Latter-Day  Saints,  I  feel  an  assurance  that  this 
little  work  will  be  received  with  no  little  pleasure  and  a  great 
degree  of  satisfaction  by  members  of  the  true  Church,  as  well 
as  those  who  are  seeking  light  upon  religious  topics. 

The  style  in  which  the  articles  comprised  in  this  little  volume  are 
written,  is  pre-eminently  plain,  and  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  reading 
public.  Loaded  as  the  articles  are,  with  careful  thought  and  numerous 
scriptural  quotations  and  references,  itself  not  only  a  thought  gatherer  but 
a  thought  generator,  it  will  come  as  a  valuable  aid  to  our  missionaries  and 
theological  organizations,  and  also  to  the  many  investigators  throughout  the 
civilized  world.  Truth  in  studied  brevity  has  been  aimed  at,  without 
seeking  the  least  embellishment  of  diction. 

With  an  intense  desire  to  impart  the  truth  to  mankind  as  widely  as 
possible,  this  little  messenger  is  sent  forth,  trusting  that  it  may  prove  a 
blessing  to  thousands  who  are  as  yet  grovelling  in  darkness  and  superstition 

and  lead  them  to  the  sunlight  of  truth. 

THE  PUBLISHER. 
Chattanooga,  Tenn., 

February,  1902. 


APOSTASY. 

The  subject  of  Apostasy  occupies  the  minds  of  people  of 
modern  times  but  very  little.  This,  however,  is  not  surprising 
when  we  consider  their  views  regarding  the  'Church  of  Christ; 
for  they  claim  a  continuation  of  divine  authority  and  the  plan 
of  salvation  from  the  apostolic  age1  to  the  present  time,  the  idea 
prevailing  among  them  being,  that  the  Bible  alone  is  a  sufficient 
guide  without  immediate  and  continued  revelation.  In  this  re- 
spect, the  position  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  differs  widely  from 
that  of  all  other  religions  organizations.  The  Saints  bear  no 
relationship  to  any,  but  declare  in  words  of  soberness,  that  our 
Heavenly  Father  has  restored  the  Gospel  by  modern  revelations 
to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  This  being  true,  there  must  have 
been  a  departure  from  the"  proper  order  of  the  Gospel. 

To  prove  that  this  has  been  the  case,  we  will  refer  to  state- 
ments of  Holy  Writ.  In  II  Peter  i  :20,  it  is  said,  "Knowing  this 
first,  that  no  prophecy  of  the  Scripture  is  of  any  private  inter- 
pretation, for  the  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the  will 
of  man ;  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost."  The  Savior  said,  when  addressing  His  disciples: 
"And  then  shall  many  be  offended,  and  shall  betray  one  another, 
and  shall  hate  one  another,  and  many  false  prophets  shall  rise 
and  deceive  many,  and  because  iniquity  shall  abound,  the  love 
of  many  shall  wax  cold."  (Matthew  xxiv  :1<KL2.) 

To  this  testimony  of  Matthew,  concerning  the  words  of  the 
Savior,  in  relation  to  the  subject  under  consideration,  there 
will  be  found  the  corresponding  testimonies  of  Mark  and  Luke. 
It  will  be  remembered  also,  that  the  testimony  of  the  Lord  was 
in  answer  to  a  very  important  question.  When  He"  had  foretold 
the  overthrow  of  the  temple,  His  apostles  asked  Him :  "When 
shall  these  things  be,  and  what  shall  be*  the  sign  of  Thy  coming, 
and  of  the  end  of  the  world?"  The  appearance  of  false 
prophets;  the  deception  of  man;  the  martyrdom  of  the  apos- 
tles ;  the  betrayal  of  the  Saints ;  the  love  of  many  waxing  cold  ; 
the  overwhelming  prevalence  of  iniquity ;  the  universal  discord 
and  contentions  of  the  nations,  all  were  prominent  events  to 


324  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

transpire  before  the  advent  of  the  Savior  to  reign  in  power 
and  glory  upon  the  earth.  To  this  we  will  add  the  words  of 
Paul :  "Now  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  by  our  gathering  together  unto  Him, 
that  ye  be  not  soon  shaken  in  mind,  or  be  troubled,  neither  by 
spirit,  nor  by  word,  nor  by  letter  as  from  us,  as  that  the  day 
of  Christ  is  at  hand.  Let  no  man  deceive!  you  by  any  means :  for 
that  day  will  not  come,  except  there  come  a  falling  away  first, 
and  that  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of  perdition."  (II 
Thes.  ii:  1-4.) 

It  is  evident  from  the  foregoing  that  some  we're  likely  to 
be  deceived  with  regard  to  the  time  of  His  second  coming.  Paul, 
to  prevent  their  being  misled  by  false  teachers  who  were  likely 
predicting  the  Savior's  advent,  testified  that  there  should  come 
a  "falling  away  first."  The  language  is  so  pointed  that  one  can 
readily  se"e  that  nothing  but  a  departure  from  the  unchangeable 
plan  of  salvation  could  fulfill  this  prediction.  We  read  in  the 
Scriptures  that  "God  hath  set  some  in  the  Church,  first  apos- 
tles; secondarily,  prophets,"  and  other  officers;  all  of  whom 
were  divinely  inspired  "for  the  work  of  the  ministry,"  with  spir- 
itual gifts  following  the  baptized  believers.  Only  a  short  time 
elapsed,  however,  before  these  officers,  principles,  gifts  and  bless- 
ings, mentioned  in  the  New  Testament,  w>ere  not  to  be  found 
on  the  earth;  and  when  we  examine  the  religious  institutions 
of  the  present  time,  these  things,  which  God  set  in  the  Church, 
are  not  found,  save  with  the  Latter-day  Saints.  The  present 
generation  then,  'as  those  of  many  centuries  past  have  been, 
are  witnesses  to  the  verification  of  the  words  we  have  quoted. 

When  Paul  was  about  to  depart  from  Miletus,  he  called  to 
him  the  Elde'rs  of  the  Church  from  the  city  of  Ephesus,  and  in 
his  farewell  address  warned  them,  as  appears  in  the  following 
words :  "For  I  know  this,  that  after  my  departing  shall  griev- 
ous wolves  enter  in  among  you,  not  sparing  the  flock.  Also  of 
your  own  selves  shall  men  arise",  speaking  perverse  things,  to 
draw  away  disciples  after  them."  (Acts  xx:29,30.)  As  an  evi- 
dence that  this  prophecy  was  being  verified  as  early  as  the  time 
of  the'  apostle  John's  banishment  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  this 
appears  in  the  second  chapter  of  Revelations,  first  and  fifth 
verses :  "Unto  the  angel  of  the  Church  of  Ephesus  write : 


APOSTASY.  325 

These  things  saith  he  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right 
hand,  who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks;  Remember,  therefore,  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and 
repe'nt,  and  do  the  first  works ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candlestick  out  of  this  place,  ex- 
cept thou  repent."  By  reading  the  second  verse  we  discover 
that  false  teachers  had  arisen  among  the  people,  professing  to 
be  apostles,  thus  verifying  the  words  of  Paul.  Following  closely 
the  context,  we  discover  that  similar  reproofs  were  meted  out  to 
most  of  the  branches  of  the  Church  in  Asia,  because  they  were 
departing  from  the  truth. 

Peter,  the  presiding  apostle,  also  has  spoken  very  plainly  re- 
garding the  apostasy.  Beginning  with  the  first  verse  of  the1 
second  chapter  of  his  second  epistle,  we  read :  "But  there  were 
false  prophets  also  among  the  people,  even  as  there  shall  be 
false  teachers  among  you,  who  privily  shall  bring  in  damnable 
heresies,  even  denying  the  Lord  that  bought  them,  and  bring 
upon  themselves  swift  destruction.  And  many  shall  follow  their 
pernicious  ways1;  by  reason  of  whom  the  way  of  truth  shall  be 
evil  spoken  of.  And  through  covetousness  shall  they  with 
feigned  words  make  merchandise"  of  you  :  whose  judgment  now 
of  a  long  time  lingereth  not,  and  their  damnation  slumbereth 
not."  From  this  we  learn  not  only  that  false  teachers  should 
arise  among  the  people,  but  that  they  should  succeed  in  deceiv- 
ing the  people,  causiing  them  to  follow  pernicious  ways.  In  con- 
nection with  this  part  of  the  subject,  Paul  says  to  Timothy : 
"For  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  not  endure  sound  doc- 
trine"; but  after  their  own  lusts  shall  they  heap  to  themselves 
teachers,  having  itching  ears ;  and  they  shall  turn  away  their 
ears  from  the  truth,  and  sihall  be  turned  unto  fables."  (II 
Timothy  iv  :  3,  4.)  Thus  it  is  clearly  stated,  not  only  that  men 
should  arise  "speaking  perverse"  things,"  and  by  their  evil  de- 
signs succeed  in  making  innovations  upon  the  teachings  of  the 
apostles,  but  that  the  people  themselves  would  be  so  allured 
from  the  way  of  life,  as  to  heap  unto  themselves  these  false 
teachers,  and  many  would  adhere  to  their  spurious  doctrines. 
The  terms  "heap"  and  "many"  do  not  signify  a  few  but  a  great 
number. 

These  quotations   from   the   Holy   Scriptures  bear   especially 


326  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

upon  the  internal  eruptions  that  occurred  in  the  Church,  causing 
many  to  depart  from  the  straight  and  narrow  path  which  leadeth 
unto  life  eternal.  Those  causes  which  create  internal  division 
and  discord  in  the  midst  of  the  Saints  are"  the  worst  of  all,  for 
"a  house  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand." 


Having  shown  that  many  of  the  ancient  Saints  departed  from 
the  plan  of  salvation,  we  will  now  proceed  to  examine  another 
branch  of  the  subject,  namely :  The  External  Events  in  Connec- 
tion with  the  History  of  the  Church  which  Conspired  to  Over- 
throw the  People  of  God.  From  the  quotations  here  given,  stat- 
ing that  "the  love  of  many  waxed  cold ;  many  shall  follow  their 
pe'rnicious  ways,"  etc.,  it  may  be  asked,  "What  shall  become  of 
the  few  who  were  faithful?  Did  not  they  confer  the  authority 
upon  a  people  in  some  remote  corner  of  the  earth?  And  from 
thence  has  it  not  continued,  as  the  true  Church,  down  to  the 
present  time?"  In  answer  to  these  queries  we  shall  refer  to 
declarations  of  Holy  Writ. 

When  the  Savior  made  His  appearance  in  the  flesh  there 
were  many  religious  denominations  extant,  some  of  which  pro- 
fessed a  firm  belief  in  the  Bible — the"  Old  Testament— and  not- 
withstanding the  ancient  prophets  plainly  foretold  the  birth  and 
ministry  of  the  Savior,  the  religious  element  bitterly  opposed 
Him  and  denounced  new  revelation,  as  manifested  through  the 
Redeemer.  This  peculiar  perversity  of  the  human  family  has 
been  displayed  prominently  whenever  the  Almighty  has  intro- 
duced a  new  dispensation  of  the  Gospel.  The  Lord,  fully  under- 
standing the  result  of  such  batter  persecution,  said  to  His 
apostles  :  "Then  shall  they  deliver  you  up  to  be  afflicted,  and 
shall  kill  you ;  and  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  nations  for  my  name- 
sake." (Matt.  xxiv:9.) 

The  vile  treatment  to  which  the  ancient  apostles  were  subjected 
and  the  martyrdom  of  many  of  them,  is  known  to  all  acquainted 
with  the  history  of  those  inspired  men ;  and  scriptural  evidence 
as  to  their  having  be'en  informed  thereof  in  advance  is  quite 
abundant.  The  Savior  says  in  Mark,  thirteenth  chapter,  ninth 
verse :  "But  take  heed  to  yourselves  ;  for  they  shall  deliver  you 
up  to  councils;  and  in  the  synagogues  ye  shall  be  beaten;  and 


APOSTASY.  327 

ye  shall  be  brought  before  rulers  and  kings  for  my  sake,  for  a 
testimony  against  them."  Another  witness  to  this  testimony  of 
our  Savior  has  also  left  us  the  following :  "And  ye  shall  be  be- 
trayed both  by  parents,  and  brethren,  and  kinsfolks,  and  friends, 
and  some  of  you  shall  they  cause  to  be1  put  to  death." 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  in  every  age  of  the  world  when 
the  Lord  has  committed  a  disipensation  of  the  Gospel  to  men 
upon  the1  earth,  the  heavenly  message  has  been  rejectd  by 
the  great  majority  of  the  human  family,  and  the  envy  and 
hatred  of  many  have  been  such  as  to  instigate  measures  of 
violence  against  the  humble  servants  of  the  Lord.  Especially 
is  this  true  when  applied  to  the  professedly  religious  element, 
and  more  directly  to  those  who  aim  to  be  public  instructors 
of  the  people.  Notice  the  action  taken  by  the  Pharisees,  Sad- 
ducees  and  other  religious  classes  regarding  the  ancient  Saints ; 
while  the  devotees  of  these  sects  were  divided  on  points  of 
doctrine  and  disagreed  upon  the  writings  of  the  prophets, 
they  combined  their  efforts  to  overthrow  the  Lord's  chosen 
people.  The  Savior,  indicating  the  class  who  would  imbrue 
their  hands  in  the  bleod  of  the  prophets,  said :  "These 
Things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  ye  should  not  be 
offended.  They  sdiall  put  you  out  of  the  synagogues  ;  yea,  the" 
time  cometh,  that  whosoever  killeth  you  will  thdnk  that  he 
doeth  God's  service."  (John  xvi :  1,  2.)  This  could  not  apply 
to  the1  atheistic  world,  for  it  denies  the  existence  of  God.  It 
could  not  mean  the  infidel  class,  for  while  they  may  not  deny 
the  existence  of  a  Supreme  Being,  they  disavow  all  forms  of 
worship.  The  Savior's  prediction  was  directed  to  the  religious 
world,  and  from  the  facts  of  the  case,  it  seems  especially  appli- 
cable to  that  portion  of  it  which  cladmed  to  believe  in  the 
writings  of  the"  ancient  prophets.  Immediate  revelation  from 
heaven  has  always  come  in  contact  with  the  vain  traditions 
and  religious  crafts  of  men,  so  that  the  strictest  professors  of 
religion  anciently  were,  and  are  now,  among  the"  foremost  in 
persecuting  the  Saints  and  seeking  to  deprive  them  of  the 
rights  and  privileges  which  other  men  enjoy.  In  connection 
with  the  evidence  found  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  on  this  part  of 
the  subject,  the  thousands  of  Latter-day  Saints  who  have  suf- 
fered by  the  hand  of  oppression  in  this  dispensation  of  the 
Gospel,  are  living  witnesses. 


328  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

While  the  revelator  John,  who  was  the  last  remaining 
member  of  the  quorum  of  the  Twelve  Apostles  on  the  Eastern 
Hemisphe're,  was  in  banishment  upon  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  he  saw 
the  image  of  a  beast,  representing  a  power  that  should  arise! 
in  the  earth,  make  war  upon  the  'Saints  and  overcome  them. 
And  they  worshipped  the  dragon  which  gave  power  unto  the 
beast,  and  they  worshiped  the  beast,  saying,  "Who  is  like  unto 
the  beast?  Who  is  able  to  make  war  with  him?  And  he 
opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to  blasphe'me  His 
name,  and  His  tabernacle,  and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven. 
And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  Saints,  and 
to  overcome  the'm ;  and  power  was  given  Him  over  all  ktn- 
dreda,  and  tongues,  and  nations."  This  declaration  of  the 
Scriptures  is  very  broad,  indicating  clearly  that  the  Saints 
should  be  overcome,  and  the  power  of  the*  beast  should  be 
so  extensive  as  to  cover  all  "kindred,  tongues  and  nations," 
thus  leaving  the  people  destitute  of  divine  authority  and  bereft 
of  the  glorious  plan  of  redemption. 

By  turning  to  the  second  chapter  of  Daniel,  we  learn  some- 
thing with  regard  to  the'  period  of  time  when  this  power  which 
made  war  with  the  Saints  and  overcame  them  should  flourish 
in  the  earth.  The  metallic  image  which  Nebuchadnezzar  saw 
in  his  dream  consisted  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  iron  and  clay,  so 
we  are  told  in  the  interpretation  given  by  Daniel  the*  prophet. 
It  represented  several  kingdoms,  beginning  with  Babylon, 
which  we  learn  from  history  flourished  in  the  fifth  and  sixth 
centuries  before  Christ ;  and  second,  the  Medio-Persian  govern- 
ment, from  about  530  to  331  B.  C. ;  third,  the  Macedonian 
kingdom,  founded  by  Alexander  the  Great,  from  331  B.  C.,  to 
161  B.  C. ;  fourth,  the  Roman  Empire,  established  in  161  B. 
C.,  and  which  flourished  until  483  A.  D.  This  last  named 
government  was  represented  in  the  metallic  image  by  the 
two  legs  of  iron,  which  resembled  very  much  the  two  divisions 
of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  one  having  its  seat  of  government  at 
Rome,  the  other  at  Constantinople.  These  subsequently  sub- 
divided into  the  petty  governments  of  modern  Europe,  having 
in  them  the  elements  of  strength  and  weakness,  as  indicated 
by  the  feet  and  toes  of  the  image,  which  were  part  of  iron  and 
part  of  clay.  It  will  be  observed  by  the  dates  given  above 
that  it  was  during  the  time  of  the  Roman  Empire  that  our 


APOSTASY.  329 

Lord  and  Savior  was  born  into  the  world.  As  early  as  the 
banishment  of  the  apostle  John,  about  96  A.  D.,  we  discover 
that  nearly  all  apostles  forming  the  chief  quorum  of  officers 
in  the  Church  of  Christ  had  beefn  martyred.  We  are  informed 
in  Mosheim's  Ecclesiastical  Institutes  that  the  year  70  A.  D. 
Vespasian  and  his  son  Titus  besieged  the  city  of  Jerusalem 
with  an  army,  destroyed  the  city  and  the  temple  and  slew 
many  of  the  inhabitants,  this  event  having  been  predicted  by 
the  Savior,  and  recorded  in  Matthew,  twenty-fourth  chapter. 
In  speaking  of  this  power  that  should  destroy  the  Saints, 
Daniel  the  prophet,  says,  "And  he  shall  speak  great  words 
against  the  Most  High  and  shall  wear  out  the  Saints  of  the 
Most  High."  We  might  illustrate  how  literally  these"  prophecies 
were  verified  by  the  following  example :  Previous  to  the  late 
Civil  War  in  the  American  Union,  the  South  organized  a  re- 
publican form  of  government  with  the  requisite  officers  to  con- 
stitute such  a  government.  In  a  short  time,  however,  the 
Northern  States  engaged  in  war  with  the  South  and  overcame 
them,  so  that  the  confederacy  of  that  section  ceased  to  exist. 
Suppose  a  stranger  should  visit  the  South  at  the  present  time 
and  inquire  of  some"  person  in  that  region  of  country  if  they 
have  a  republic  entirely  independent  of  the  North,  and  on 
being  answered  "We  have,"  the  visitor  queTies,  "Where  is  your 
president?"  "Well,  he  is  done  away  with,  because  no  longer 
needed."  He  is  asked,  "Where  is  your  vice-presiident?"  "Oh, 
we  have  none1."  "Where  is  your  congress?"  "Well,  that  was 
dissolved  long  ago  and  has  not  existed  since."  "Pray,  then," 
says  the  stranger,  "What  have*  you  left?"  "Well,  we  have  a 
judge,  and  a  policeman,  besides  the  book  which  gives  a  history 
of  the  officers  you  inquire  about."  Such  answers,  however 
absurd  and  inconsistent,  are  very  similar  to  those  offered  by 
the  religious  world  of  today  who  claim  to  have1  the  Church  of 
Christ ;  but  when  asked  where  are  their  apostles,  they  answer, 
"We  have  none,  they  are1  done  away  with."  "Have  you 
prophets?"  "Oh,  no!  They  are  no  longer  needed."  "Do  the 
members  of  your  church  enjoy  the"  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
that  Jesus  promised  should  follow  believers?"  "Certainly  not, 
they  have  passed  away  centuries  ago,  and  we  have"  no  occasion 
for  them  now."  "Well,  then,  what  have  you  left?"  "Why, 
we  have  a  pastor  and  a  de-aeon,  and  then  we  have  the  good 


330  COWLEY  'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

Book,  the  Holy  Bible,  that  describes  the  officers  you  mention." 
It  is  very  clear,  from  the  condition  of  affairs,  that  we  have 
briefly  described,  that  at  siome  period  in  the  past,  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  was  taken  from  the  earth  and  the  human 
family  left  without  the  direct  and  authorized  administration 
of  the  plan  of  salvation.  The  prophecies  we  have  quoted 
show,  first,  that  such  an  event  was  to  transpire  some  time 
in  the  future;  second,  about  the  period  of  time  in  which 
many  of  these  predictions  were  verified,  and,  third,  the  means 
of  power  by  which  the  Saints  were  overcome". 

There  are  other  prophecies  in  the  Bible  which  plainly  show 
that  the  extent  of  the  ancient  apostasy  would  be"  universal 
and  continue  in  the  earth  until  a  certain  period  in  the  history 
of  the  human  family,  which  will,  with  other  items,  form  the 
subject  matter  for  our  next  consideration.  As  the  predictions 
of  the  prophets  relating  to  the  past  have  been  so  laterally  veri- 
fied, this  fact  should  promote,  in  the  hearts  of  the  people1,  great 
faith  .in  the  words  of  the  Lord,  as  these  are  given  in  the  Bible. 


We  have  shown  that  the  Church  established  by  the  Savior 
in  all  its  pristine  beauty  and  purity  was  taken  from  the  e'arth. 
As  none  of  the  religious  denominations,  existing  between  the 
time  of  the  ancient  apostles  and  the  nineteenth  century  have 
received  a  new  commission  from  heaven,  that  fact  is  proof  that 
the  effect  of  the  primitive  apostasy  has  extended  without  inter- 
ruption to  the  present  age"  of  the  world. 

Dr.  Mosheim  is  the  author  of  four  large  volumes  of  religious 
history  comprehending  about  eighteen  centuries  of  the  Christian 
era.  This  work  has  been  translated  by  Dr.  Murdock  with 
copious  notes,  or  extracts,  from  the  writers  who  lived  con- 
temporary with  the  times  of  which  he  writes.  From  the 
translation  of  Mosheim's  Ecclesiastical  Institute's  we  make  a 
few  quotations. 

In  speaking  of  the  second  century  of  the  'Christian  era, 
Mosheim  says  (Vol.  1,  p.  142)  :  "For  the  noble  simplicity  and 
the  majestic  ddgndty  of  the  Christian  religion  were  lost,  or 
at  least  impaired,  when  the'se  philosophers  presumed  to  asso- 
ciate their  dogmas  with  it  and  to  bring  faith  and  piety  under 
the  dominion  of  human  reason."  On  pages  182  and  183  of  the 


APOSTASY.  331 

same  volume  we  are  informed  that,  to  conform  to  the  customs 
of  Jews  and  Pagan  priests,  rites  and  ceremonies  were  added 
to  the  simplicity  of  correct  worship,  and  a  "large  part  there- 
fore of  the  Christian  observances  and  institutions  even  in  this 
century  had  the  aspect  of  Pagan  mysteries."  Passing  on  to 
the  third  century  on  page  257,  we  have  the  following :  "All 
the  monuments  of  this  century  which  have  come  down  to  us, 
show  that  there  was  a  great  increase  of  ceremonies."  Page 
259 :  "Baptism  was  publicly  administered  twice  a  ye'ar  to  can- 
didates who  had  gone  through  a  long  preparation  and  trial." 

Of  the  fourth  century  we  learn  from  p.  345  that  the  regard 
for  Platonic  philosophy  was  embraced  and  mingled  with  the 
doctrine  of  the  Savior :  "Hence  it  is  that  we  see  on  every 
hand  evident  traces  of  excessive  veneration  for  Saints  in 
heaven ;  of  belief  in  a  fire  to  purify  souls  on  leaving  the  body ; 
of  partiality  for  priestly  celebacy  ;  the  worship  of  images  and 
relics,  and  for  many  other  opinions  which,  in  the  process  of 
time,  almost  banished  the  true  religion  or  at  least  very  much 
obscured  and  corrupted  it."  Of  the  fifth  century,  an  account 
is  given  of  impostors  perpetrating  artifices  to  make  people 
think  they  were  miracles  and  thereby  induce  them  to  embrace 
Christianity.  Religious  teachings,  we  are  informed,  "were  sub- 
stantiated, not  so  much  by  the  declarations  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, as  by  the  authority  and  logical  reasonings  of  the  ancient 
doctors."  Page  455 :  "The  whole  Christian  Church  was  in 
this  century  overwhelmed  with  these  disgraceful  fictions." 

We  might  proceed  with  similar  quotations  relative  to  subse- 
quent centuries  intervening  between  the  fifth  and  the  time  of 
the  Reformation,  but  the  foregoing  will  suffice1  to  show  that 
religious  matters  grew  worse  from  one  age  to  another,  pre- 
senting to  the  world  a  mass  of  religious  confusion.  Although 
there  may  have  been  honorable  men  who  protested  against 
these  evils,  it  is  evident  that  genuine  authority  and  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Gospel  in  their  purity  could  not  be  derived  from 
such  a  corrupt  source1.  We  are  informed  in  the  Scriptures 
that  an  evil  tree  will  not  produce  good  fruit  nor  a  bitter  foun- 
tain send  forth  sweet  waters.  As  neither  Luther,  Melancthon, 
Huss,  Zwingli,  Calvin  nor  any  of  the  reformers  of  that  age 
received  revelation  from  heaven  authorizing  them  to  establish 
the  Church,  we  find  that  the  world  was  still  without  the  plan 


332  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

of  salvation,  and  that  the  products  of  the  Reformation,  as 
religious  bodies,  are  the  offspring  of  the  mother  church,  de- 
scribed in  the  Scriptures  as  the"  "mother  of  harlots  and 
abomination  of  the  earth."  This  unnatural  mother,  like  some 
of  the  fashionable  women  of  modern  times  (whose  husbands 
and  illicit  patrons  are  zealously  opposing  the  Latter-day 
Saints),  endeavored  to  procure  abortion,  but  failing  in  this, 
she  tried  to  destroy  her  children  after  birth.  Both  attempts 
being  futile,  the  children  grew  to  years  of  maturity  and  in  turn 
gave  birth  to  other  children,  and  so  on  until  now  there  are  sev- 
eral generations  of  them  living.  'These  offspring,  being  without 
natural  affection,  have  been  and  still  are  quarreling  with  each 
other  and  casting  missiles  at  their  mothers  and  grandmothers 
as  the  case  may  be. 

In  the  midst  of  thus  religious  spectacle,  however,  there  are 
and  have  been  many  honorable  people  who  have  realized  the 
fallen  condition  of  the  world  and  were  honest  enough  to  ac- 
knowledge the  same.  From  Elder  John  Morgan's  Tract  No. 
1,  we  make  the  following  extracts :  "Roger  Williams  refused 
to  continue  as  pastor  over  the*  oldest  Baptist  church  in  America 
on  the  grounds  that  there  was  no  regularly  constituted  church 
oil  earth  nor  any  person  authorized  to  administer  church  ordi- 
nances, nor  can  there  be  until  new  apostles  are"  sent  by  the 
Great  Head  of  the  Church  for  whose  coming  I  am  seeking." 
(See  Picturesque  America,  page"  502.)  Smith's  Bible  Dic- 
tionary also  says:  "We  must  not  expect  to  see  the  Church 
of  Holy  Scriptures  actually  existing  in  its  perfection  on  the 
earth.  It  is  not  to  be  found  thus  pe'rfect  either  in  the  collected 
fragments  of  Christendom  or  still  less  in  any  one  of  these  frag- 
ments." The  names  of  sixty-five  learned  divines  and  biblical 
scholars  are  on  the  preface  page  as  contributors  to  and  en- 
dorsers of  this  book. 

Mr.  Wesley  states  that  the  reason  the  gifts  are  no  longer 
in  the  church,  is  because  the  love  of  many  waxed  cold  and  the1 
Christians  had  turned  heathens  again  and  had  only  a  dead 
form  left.  (See  volume  1,  sermon  94.) 

The  situation  of  the  religious  world  is  beautifully  depicted  in 
poetic  verse  on  page  forty-one  of  the  Latter-day  Saints'  Hymn 
Book,  in  a  hymn  from  Wesley's  collection.  In  speaking  of  the 


APOSTASY.  333 

golden  age  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  when  the  Saints  were 
endowed  with  spiritual  gifts  and  graces,  the  writer  says  : 

"Where  shall  we  wander  now  to  find 
Successors  they  have  left  behind? 
The  faithful  whom  we  seek  in  vaiin 
Are  'minished  from  the  sons  of  men. 
Ye  different  sects  who  all  declare : 
'Lo !  here  is  Christ'  or  'Christ  is  there !' 
Your  stronger  proofs  divinely  give, 
And  show  me  where  true  Christians  live." 

I  will  now  quote  from  the  Bible  to  illustrate  how  plainly  the 
prophets  foretold  what  the  writers  from  whom  I  have  quoted 
clearly  show  to  have  been  verified :  "Behold  the  days  come, 
saith  the  Lord  God,  that  I  will  send  a  famine  in  the  land,  not 
a  famine  of  bread  nor  a  thirst  for  water,  but  of  hearing  the 
words  of  the  Lord  :  And  they  shall  wander  from  sea  to  sea 
and  from  the  north  even  to  the  east  they  shall  run  to  and  fro 
to  seek  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  not  find  it."  (Amos 
viii:  11,  12.)  We  learn  from  this  that  the  time  was  coming  when 
men  should  seek  to  the  four  points  of  the  compass,  and  in  all 
directions,  and  yet  fail  to  find  the  word  of  God ;  but  we  find  the 
Bible  in  every  direction,  and  that  is  said  to  contain  the  word 
of  the  Lord.  Very  true,  but  that  word  was  directed  to  past  gen- 
erations and  is  a  record  of  the  dealings  of  our  Heavenly 
Father  with  His  children  in  bygone  days. 

The  sacred  record  states:  "Surely  the  Lord  God  will  do 
nothing,  but  He  reve<aleth  His  secrets  unto  His  servants  the 
Prophets."  (Amos  iii :  7.)  From  this  we  learn  that  if  there 
are  no  prophets  of  the  Lord,  then  our  Heavenly  Father  is  doing 
nothing  in  a  religious  sense  among  the  people  of  this  earth ; 
but  if  He  is  doing  a  work  among  them  for  their  redemption, 
then  there  must  be  prophets.  By  this  it  will  be  easy  to  ascer- 
tain whether  the  prediction  of  Amos  has  been,  verified  or  not. 
Who,  previous  to  the  year  1827,  for  many  centuries  has  found 
in  his  researches  an  inspired  prophet  who  could  stand  in  the 
midst  of  the"  people  and  say,  "Thus  saith  the  Lord?"  Have  not 
the  people  denied  the  prophets  and  visions  of  heaven?  We 
learn  from  the  nineteenth  chapter  of  Revelations  that  "the 
testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy."  Therefore,  if  any 


334  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

have  had  this  testimony  they  have  been  inspired  with  the 
spirit  of  prophecy.  And  again,  we  are  informed  by  the  Savior, 
as  written  in  the  sixteenth  chapter  of  John,  that  the  "Spirit 
of  truth  shall  guide  into  all  truth,"  and  "show  you  things  to 
come."  Who  has  seen  thangs  to  come?  And  where  is  the  word 
of  the  Lord?  Surely  not  with  those  who  deny  prophets  and 
apostles. 

We?  learn  from  the  twenty-fourth  chapter  of  Isaiah  that  the 
effects  of  this  ancient  apostasy  would  be  so  universal  as  to 
cover  all  classes  of  society,  affecting  not  only  the  religious  and 
social  circles,  but  the  business  transactions  of  the  human  fam- 
ily. In  the  second  verse  he  says:  "And  it  shall  be  as  with  the 
people,  so  with  the  priest ;  as  with  the  servant,  so  with  h.s 
master ;  as  with  the  maid,  so  with  her  mistress ;  as  with  the 
buyer,  so  with  the  seller ;  as  with  the  lende'r  so  with  the  bor- 
rower ;  as  with  the  taker  of  usury,  so  with  the  giver  of  usury 
to  him."  By  reading  the  fifth  verse  of  the  same  chapter  we' 
learn  that  even  the  earth  upon  which  we  dwell  is  seriously 
effected.  Isaiah  says:  "The  earth  also  is  defiled  under  the 
inhabitants  thereof,  because  they  have  transgressed  the  laws, 
changed  the  ordinances,  broken  the  everlasting  covenant." 

As  a  testimony  to  the  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy,  thousands 
of  people  dn  the  American  Union  are  witnesses  to  the  fact,  that 
in  many  parts  the?  land  will  not  produce  such  prolific  crops  as 
it  would  several  years  ago,  but  is  gradually  growing  weaker  and 
losing  its  virtue.  Many  places  once  fruitful  are  now  turned 
aside  as  being  too  poor  to  cultivate,  and  are  occupied  by  hedge' 
grass,  sassafras  bushes  and  growths  of  small  pine.  iSuch  is  the 
rapid  decline  of  the  strength  of  the  soil.  I  have  been  informed 
that  in  one  state  some  of  the  people,  desiring  to  learn  why  the 
soil  was  losing  its  virtue",  took  quantities  of  earth  from  different 
po-ints  and  had  it  analyzed.  The  analysis  revealed  the  fact  that 
the  soil  had  lost  its  salt  and  was  therefore  comparatively  of 
but  little  worth,  only  to  be  trodden  under  the  foot  of  man.  This 
test  of  the  soil  in  one  section  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  same  con- 
dition of  the  land  in  many  other  places.  These  are  the  terrible 
effects,  Isaiah  informs  us,  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  trans- 
gressing "the  laws,"  changing  "the"  ordinances,"  and  breaking 
the  "everlasting  covenant." 

Among  other  important  features  wherein  the  everlasting  cov- 


APOSTASY.  335 

enant  has  beeti  broken  is  that  pertaining  to  the  marriage  con- 
tract, which,  agreeable  to  the  laws  of  heaven,  is  binding  through 
time  and  eternity,  not  recognizing  death,  which  is  said  to  be  the 
"wages  of  sin,"  as  having  power  to  sever  that  which  is  joined 
together  by  the  power  and  authority  of  God.  The  world  is  now 
following  the  pattern  of  the  Sadducees  (who  denied  the  resur- 
rection), and  therefore  pronounce  the  ceremony  of  marriage 
"until  death  do  you  part." 

Another  prophecy  which  vividly  portrays  the  religious  state 
of  affairs  in  the  last  days  is  that  contained  in  (II  Timothy  iii : 
1-6)  as  follows  :  "This  know  also,  that  in  the  last  days  peril- 
ous times  shall  come.  For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own 
selves,  covetous,  boasters,  proud,  blasphemers,  disobedient  to 
parents,  unthankful,  unholy,  without  natural  affection,  truce- 
breakers,  false  accusers,  incontinent,  fierce,  despisers  of  those 
that  are  good,  traitors,  heady,  high-minded,  lovers  of  pleasure 
more  than  lovers  of  God ;  having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  denying 
the  power  thereof ;  from  such  turn  away." 

This  is  so  plain  that  no  one  need  to  doubt  its  verification. 
It  clearly  sets  forth  the  very  evilsi  that  are  now  prevalent  in  all 
the  civilized  nations  of  the  earth.  While  this  statement  of  evils 
may  apply  to  the  world  at  large,  it  is  evident  that  it  was  directed 
specially  to  a  certain  class  of  people" — not  to  infidel  nor  atheist, 
nor  yet  to  the  heathen  nations,  which  are  unacquainted  with  the 
name  of  the  Savior  and  with  what  is  termed  Christianity,  but 
to  those  religious  bodies  which,  as  Paul  declares,  "have  a  form 
of  godliness,  but  deny  the  power  thereof."  It  plainly  describes 
the  situation  of  the  Christian  world  at  the  present  time, 
who,  while  they  have  various  forms  of  worship,  deny  the 
gifts  of  vision,  prophecy,  healing,  tongues  and  nearly  all  the 
manifestations  of  the  power  of  the  Lord,  as  enjoyed  by  the 
ancient  Saints.  In  fine,  they  deny  the  Gospel,  for  that,  says 
Paul,  "is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation."  The  apostle,  it 
appears,  would  not  attribute  to  them  even  true  forms  of  worship, 
for  he  says  they  have  a  "form  of  godliness."  "From  such," 
says  Paul,  "turn  away." 

If  all  would  receive  this  admonition  and  "turn  away"  from 
these  powerless  forms,  what  would  become  of  the  churches  that 
are  now  extant?  With  the  foregoing  positive  predictions  upon 
this  subject,  and  the  facts  before  us  in  verification  of  the  same. 


336  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

we  can  testify  that  the  words  of  Isaiah  have  been  fulfilled, 
wherein  he  says :  "Behold  the  darkness  shall  cover  the  earth 
and  gross  darkness  the  people ;"  and  that  nothing  short  of  more 
revelation  direct  from  heaven  could  place  the  present  generation 
in  possession  of  the  everlasting  Gospel. 

Having  shown  that  many  of  the  ancients  fell  away  from  that 
Gospel ;  that  the  faithful  remainder  were  warred  against  by 
the  enemies  of  truth,  and  that  the  last  of  the  saints 
who  held  the  Priesthood  were  overcome,  leaving  no  successors 
to  continue  the  works  of  the  ministry ;  it  is  therefore  made  clear 
that  the  plan  of  salvation  was  taken  away  from  the  earth,  that 
the  results  of  the  ancient  apostasy  were  universal  and  nave 
extended  down  without  interruption  to  the  present  century. 

The  gloom  that  these  serious  events  would  cast  upon  the 
minds  of  the  honest  in  he'art  who  saw  this  sad  picture  unfolded 
to  the  gaze  of  the  world,  and  which  would  effect  their  posterity 
in  future  generations,  was  greatly  relieved  when  they  beheld, 
while  rapt  in  heavenly  vision,  angels'  from  the  mansions  of  glory 
descending  to  the  earth  with  the  Gospel  message  in  all  its  purity 
and  holiness,  to  deliver  to  the  sons  of  men,  causing  the  "poor 
among  men  to  rejoice  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel."  The  apostle' 
John,  while  in  banishment  upon  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  said  :  "And 
I  saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven  having  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel  to  preach  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and 
to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue",  and  people,  saying 
with  a  loud  vo'ice,  Fear  God,  and  give  glory  to  Him ;  for  the 
hour  of  His  judgment  is  come ;  and  worship  Him  that  made 
heaven,  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  water." 
(Revelation,  xiv  :6,  7.)  There  are  now  thousands  of  honest- 
hearted  people  upon  the  earth  who  testify  that  the  angel  spoken 
of  in  the  foregoing  quotation  visited  Joseph  Smith,  the  prophet, 
and  delive'red  to  him  the  everlasting  Gospel.  Scattered  Israel  is 
coming  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth  while  the  day  spoken  of  by 
Jeremiah  is  dawning.  "O  Lord,  my  strength,  and  my  fortress, 
my  refuge  'in  the  day  of  affliction,  the  Gentiles  shall  come  unto 
Thee'  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  shall  say,  surely  our 
fathers  have  inherited  lies,  vanity,  and  things  wherein  there  is 
no  profit."  (Jeremiah  xvi :  19.) 

These  predictions  are  being  fulfilled  and  will  be1  fulfilled  to 
the  very  letter;  and  as  the  apostasy  and  its  effects  were"  uni- 


APOSTASY.  337 

versal,  so  will  the  restoration  of  the  Gospel  be  universal,  extend- 
ing to  every  nation,  kindred,  tongue  and  people,  until  Satan 
shall  be  bound  and  the  voice1  of  "peace  on  earth  and  to  men 
good  will"  shall  be  heard  from  the  rivers  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth;  when  "the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea ;"  and  when  "they  shall  teach 
no  more  every  man  his  neighbor,  and  every  man  his  brother, 
saying,  know  the  Lord ;  for  all  shall  know  Me,  from  the  least 
of  them  unto  the  greatest." 


22 


RESTORATION  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Having  shown  conclusively  that  the  Church  of  Christ  in  its 
purity  and  entirety  was  taken  from  the  earth,  we  find  the  world 
without  divine  authority,  without  ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  hav- 
ing a  "form  of  godliness  but  denying  the  power  thereof." 
"From  such  turn  away." 

This  would  be  truly  a  sad  picture  to  gaze  upon  and  contem- 
plate, were  it  not  that  the!  Lord  also  revealed  to  the  apostles  and 
prophets  anciently  that  in  the  last  days  there  would  be  a  re- 
storation of  all  that  had  been  enjoyed  in  previous  dispensations. 
The  apostle  Peter,  speaking  of  the  second  advent  of  the  Messiah, 
prophesied  as  follows :  "And  He  shall  send  Jesus  Christ,  which 
before  was  preached  unto  you  :  whom  the  heaven  must  receive 
until  the  times  of  restitution  of  all  things,  which  God  hath 
spoken  by  the  mouth  of  all  His  holy  prophets  since  the  world 
began."  (Acts  iii  :20,  21).  This  prediction  is  so  plain  that  a 
"wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,  need  not  err  therein." 

A  restitution  means  bringing  back  that  which  was  lost ;  even 
if  God  had  not  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  many  prophets  since"  the 
beginning,  giving  in  detail  various  conditions  which  would  be 
restored  to  the  earth,  this  prophecy  would  be  sufficient  in  itself 
in  assuring  "a  restitution  of  all  things"  to  justify  mankind  in 
looking  for  a  new  dispensation  containing  all  the  gifts  and 
powers  of  the  apostolic  age". 

These  gifts-  and  powers  do  not  exist  in  the  Catholic  church, 
nor  in  any  Protestant  denomination  of  modern  Christendom. 
Nothing  short  of  new  revelation  from  God  will  fulfill  the  pre- 
diction of  the  apostle  Peter. 

The  twenty-second  and  twenty-third  verses  of  the  same  proph- 
ecy read:  "For  Moses  truly  said  unto  the  fathers"  (his  prophecy 
here  quoted  by  Peter  is  found  in  Deuteronomy,  18th  chapter, 
commencing  with  the  fifteenth  verse),  "A  prophet  shall  the  Lord 
your  God  raise  up  unto  you  of  your  brethren,  like  unto  me; 
Him  shall  ye  hear  in  all  things,  whatsoever  He  shall  say  unto 
you.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  every  soul  which  will  not 
hear  that  prophet  shall  be  destroyed  from  among  the  people." 


RESTORATION  OF  THE    GOSPEL.  339 

This  prophecy  undoubtedly  .refers  to  the  Savior,  but  the  condi- 
tions specified  were  never  verified  at  His  first  coming.  Those 
who  would  not  hear  Him  were  not  destroyed  from  among  the 
people.  It  is  plain  therefore  that  the  prediction  must  allude  to 
His  second  advent.  In  this  connection,  we  refer  our  readers  to 
the  third  chapter  of  Malachi,  1  to  3,  inclusive:  "Behold,  I  will 
send  my  messenge'r,  and  He  shall  prepare  the  way  before  me ; 
and  the  Lord  whom  ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to  His  temple, 
even  the  messenger  of  the  cove'nant  whom  ye  delight  in,  behold 
He  shall  come,  said  the  Lord  of  hosts.  But  who  may  abide  the 
day  of  His  coming?  A<nd  who  shall  stand  when  He  appeareth? 
For  He  is  like  a  refiner's  fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap,  and  He  shall 
sit  as  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  silver,  and  He  shall  purify  the 
sens  of  Levi,  and  purge  them  as  gold  and  silver,  that  they  may 
offer  unto  the  Lord  an  offering  in  righteousness." 

These  conditions  did  not  exist  when  Jesus  came  as  the  Babe 
of  Bethlehem.  The  people  then  abode  His  coming.  They  despised 
Him,  and  persecuted  Him  to  the  death.  The  sons  of  Levi  were 
not  purged.  Many  centuries  have  elapsed  since  they  offered  an 
acceptable1  offering  unto  the  Lord,  so  far  as  we  are  informed  in 
sacred  or  other  history.  The  Messiah  did  not  come  suddenly ; 
He  came  as  other  infants  came,  only  under  humbler  circum- 
stances, being  born  in  a  stable  and  cradled  in  a  manger.  Truly 
does  the  Scripture  say :  "He  descended  below  all  things  that 
He  might  rise  above  all  things."  He  did  not  come  to  His  temple, 
for  He  said  that  "the  foxes  had  holes  and  birds  of  the  air  had 
nests,  but  the  Son  of  Man  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head ;"  and 
again  that  the  temple1  occupied  by  money  changers,  rather  than 
being  a  house  of  prayer,  had  become  a  "den  of  thieves." 

When  He  comes  in  verification  of  Malachi's  prophecy,  He 
will  come  suddenly  and  in  power  and  great  glory.  He  will  find  a 
temple  to  come  to.  To  do  this,  there  must  be  a  people  called 
of  God,  instructed  by  revelation  direct,  in  order  to  know  where", 
when  and  how  to  erect,  in  keeping  with  divine  approval,  such 
a  sacred  edifice.  Such  information  cannot  be  found  in  the  writ- 
ten word  of  bygone  age's,  much  less  in  the  writings  and  com- 
mentaries of  learned  divines  who  deny  the  necessity  of  new  and 
continuous  revelation.  Nothing  short  of  a  new  Gospel  dispen- 
sation, ushered  in  and  perpetuated  by  direct  revelation  from  the 
Lord,  can  fulfill  the  provisions  of  Malachi's  prediction. 


340  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

Passing  on  to  chapter  four  of  Malachi's  prophecy,  we  find  the 
inspired  utterances  respecting  the  judgments  of  God,  the  burning 
and  overthrow  of  the  wicked  and  the"  rising  of  the  Son  of  Right- 
eousness to  those  who  fear  His  holy  name.  In-  the  fifth  verse 
it  is  said:  "Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah,  the  prophet,  before 
the  coming  of  the"  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord."  This  is 
so  definite  that  comments  are  unnecessary.  The  prophet  Elijah 
who  was  taken  to  heaven  in  a  chariot  of  fire  without  tasting 
death  is  doubtless  referred  to. 

In  the'  verse  following  the  one  quoted,  the  mission  of  Elijah 
is  specified  to  "turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children  and 
the  hearts  of  the  children  to  their  fathers."  How  consistent  and 
glorious  such  a  mission !  The  children  receiving  the  Gospel  in  a 
new  dispensation  naturally  inquire  what  has  become  of  their 
fathers  who  died  without  the  Gospel.  In  other  pages  of  this  vol- 
ume, referring  to  the*  redemption  of  the  dead,  we  notice  more 
fully  this  prophecy  and  testify  that  Elijah  has  come  and  also 
restored  the  keys  of  salvation  for  the  dead. 

Zechariah  saw  the  time  when  Jerusalem  should  be  rebuilt, 
and  said:  "Behold,  the  angel  that  talked  with  me  went  forth 
and  another  angel  went  out  to  meet  him,  and  said  unto  him, 
run,  speak  with  the  young  man,  saying,  Jerusalem  shall  be  in- 
habited as  towns  without  walls  for  the  multitude  of  men  and 
cattle  therein."  (  Zech.  ii:  3,  4.)  Continuing,  the  prophet  speaks 
of  Israel  coming  from  the  North,  and  from  Babylon,  and  being 
gathered  to  their  inheritances,  and  that  God  Himself  "shall  dwell 
in  the  midst  of  thee."  The  Scripture's  are  replete  with  similar 
prophecies  pointing  to  the  gathering  of  Israel  to  Zion  and  Jeru- 
salem, the  coming  of  the  Lord,  and  other  important  eve,nts.  How 
any  one  could  belie've  that  these  glorious  prophecies  could  be 
verified  without  more  revelation  and  the  establishment  of  a  new 
dispensation  of  the  Gospel,  is  more  of  a  marvel  to  a  true  be- 
liever in  the  Bible  than  is  believing  in  prophecy,  revelations, 
visions,  miracles,  etc. 

In  Revelations,  chapte'r  xiv,  verses  6  and  7,  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing very  clear  prophecy  on  this  important  subject :  "And  I 
saw  another  angel  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  ever- 
lastng  Gospel  to  preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the"  earth,  and 
to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  saying 
with  a  loud  voice,  Fear  God  and  give  glory  to  Him,  for  the  hour 


RESTORATION   OF  THE    GOSPEL.  341 

of  His  judgment  is  come ;  and  worship  Him  that  made  heaven, 
and  earth,  and  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters."  The  inspired 
utterance  cannot  have  reference  to  an  event  in  the  age"  in  which 
it  was  littered  for  two  reasons  at  least:  first,  the  people  had 
the  Gospel  at  the  time,  and  John's  mission  was  to  declare  the 
same;  second,  the  voice  from  heaven  as  recorded  in  Rev.  iv: 
1,  2,  called  to  John  saying,  "Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  shew 
thee  things  which  must  be  hereafter." 

"What  is  prophecy  but  history  reversed?"  Thus  the  bock  of 
Revelation  is  one  unbroken  chain  of  prophetic  history  from  first 
to  last.  The  declaration  that  an  angel  should  come  with  the 
Gospel  is  proof  that  the  Gospel  would  be  taken  away.  Again,  the 
angel  was  to  come  in  the  "hour  of  God's  judgment,"  a  day  not 
at  all  fulfilled  during  the  earthly  ministry  of  our  Savior.  One 
of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  prophecy  is  that  the 
inhabitants  of  the  e'arth,  without  exception  (every  nation,  kin- 
dred, tongue  and  people,  is  included  in  the  glorious  message),  are 
called  upon  to  worship  Him  who  made  the  heaven  and  earth  and 
the  sea  and  the  fountains  of  water. 

When  we  come  to  the  subject  of  personality  of  God,  it  will  be 
our  purpose  to  show  that  the  "God  without  body,  parts,  and  pas- 
sions" is  not  the  God  who  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  and 
hence  the  necessity  of  just  such  an  injunction  as  that  quoted 
from  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  Revelation  being  given  to  the 
world  in  the  last  days.  The  specifications  of  the  prophecy  are 
plain.  The  question  which  logically  follows  is,  "Has  that  angel 
come?"  If  he  has  not,  then  he  must  do  so,  or  the  word  of  God 
is  null  and  void,  and  this  is  impossible.  "Not  one  jot  or  tittle 
shall  fall  unfulfilled."  "Though  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,  rny  word  shall  never  pass»  away." 

Certainly  the  angel  has  not  come  to  any  Catholic  or  Protestant 
ministers,  for  they  dispute  the  necessity  of  angels.  The  only 
claim  to  the  reception  of  the  heavenly  message  isi  made  by  Joseph 
Smith,  the  prophet,  and  his  followers,  who  testify  that  the  angel 
came  to  the  young  man  Joseph.  It  will  not  do  to  dismiss  this 
claim  by  saying  that  "false  prophets  shall  come,"  for  false  proph- 
ets, counterfeit  coin,  and  every  spurious  imitation  exists  as  a 
counterfeit  to  the  true  article,  so  that  the  existence  of  false 
prophets  is  usually  a  very  fair  indication  that  true  prophets  are 
not  far  away. 


342  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

Following  the  coming  of  the  angel  having  the  Gospel  to  restore 
was  to  be  another,  urging  the  Saints  to  come  out  of  Babylon : 
"And  I  heard  anothe'r  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  come  out  of  her, 
my  people,  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues."  (Rev.  xviii:4.) 
Thus  it  is  a  gathering  dispensation,  as  stated  by  Paul  in  the  first 
chapter  of  Ephesians.  The  Savior,  in  speaking  of  the'  signs  asso- 
ciated with  His  second  coming  and  the  consummation  of  His 
Father's  work  un  the  last  days,  says :  "And  this  Gospel  of  the 
kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all 
nations ;  and  then  shall  the  end  come."  \^lait.  xxiv:14.)  This 
prophecy  was  uttered  in  connection  with  the  stating  of  other 
signs  given  by  the  Savior  respecting  His  second  advent,  and  in 
answer  to  a  question  by  the  disciples :  "Tell  us  when  shall  these 
things  be?  <and  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  Thy  coming  and  of 
the  end  of  the  world?" 

"This  Gospl  of  the  kingdom ;"  "The  Everlasting  Gospel ;"  The 
Gospel  of  apostles,  prophets,  revelations,  visions,  miracles  and 
all  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  only  true  Gospel  could  not 
be  preached  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations  unless  restored  to 
earth  by  modern  revelations,  for  the  religious  world,  so  far  as 
enjoying  the  true  Gospel  is  concerned,  comes  under  the  prophecy 
of  Isaiah,  chapter  ix :  2 :  "For  behold  darkness  shall  cover  the 
earth  and  gross  darkness  the  people;"  and  again,  chapter  xxiv:  5: 
"The  earth  also  is  defiled  under  the  inhabitants  thereof;  because 
they  have  transgressed  the  laws,  changed  the  ordinances,  broken 
the  everlasting  covenant,"  all  this  going  to  prove  the  necessity  of 
a  Gospel  restoration. 

When  Jesus  taught  His  diaciples  how  to  pray  He  instructed 
them  to  say,  among  other  things,  "Thy  kingdom  come,  Thy  will 
be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  (Matt,  vi  :10.)  If  the  king- 
dom referred  to  by  Him  had  come,  He  would  not  have  instructed 
them  to  pray  for  what  they  alre'ady  possessed.  They  were  look- 
ing for  a  future  day. 

On  one  occasion  after  His  resurrection,  the  apostles  asked  the 
Savior  this  question :  "Wilt  Thou  at  this  time  restore  again  the 
kingdom  to  Israel?"  And  He  said  unto  them,  it  is  not  for  you 
to  know  the  times  or  the  seasons,  which  the  Father  hath  put  in 
His  own  power."  (Acts  i:  7.)  This  indicates  plainly  the  establish- 
ment of  God's  kingdom  at  a  future  period  of  time.  We  may 
connect  with  these  inspired  sayings  of  the  Savior  the  prophecy  of 


RESTORATION  OF  THE    GOSPEL.  343 

Daniel,  recorded  in  the  second  chapter  of  his  prophetic  utter- 
ances. By  reading  from  the  second  chapter  of  his  book  we  learn 
that  the  king  of  Babylon  had  received  a  dream  which,  having 
gone  from  his  mind,  he  demanded  to  know  of  the  wise  men ;  and 
not  only  the  interpretation,  but  the  dream  itself.  They,  of 
course,  failed.  Daniel,  the  prophet,  was  called  in,  and  in  the 
spirit  of  a  true  prophet  and  Saint  of  God  acknowledged  that  it 
was  not  in  man  to  reveal  snch  things,  "But  there  is  a  God  in 
heaven  that  revealeth  secrets,  and  maketh  known  to  the  King 
Nebuchadnezzar  what  shall  be  in  the  latter  days."  The  image 
seen  in  the  dream  is  ne'xt  described  by  Daniel  as  being  in  form 
like  a  man,  with  a  head  of  fine  gold,  his  breast  and  arms  of  sil- 
ver, his  belly  and  thighs  of  brass,  hiai  legs  of  iron,  his  feet  part 
of  iron  and  part  of  clay.  The  interpretation  made  known  that 
this  image  represented  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  beginning  with 
Babylon,  the  head  of  gold;  next  came  the  Medio- Persian,  under 
Alexander  the  Great:  then  arose  the  Roman  empire,  out  of 
which  grew  the  modern  kingdoms  of  Europe,  represented  by  the 
feet  and  toes.  Here  comes  the  important  feature  of  the?  proph- 
ecy which  was  to  take  place  in  the  "latter  days,"  of  which  the 
prophet  Daniel  says,  "And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the 
God  of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed  ; 
and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it  shall 
break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  it  shall 
stand  forever." 

The  language  of  this  prophecy  shows:  first,  that  unlike  the 
preceding  kingdoms,  this  last  named  kingdom  was  to  be  set  up 
by  God  Himself,  in  other  words,  the  kingdom  of  God,  not  of 
man.  Second,  unlike  the"  other  kingdoms,  it  should  never  be 
destroyed.  Third,  it  should  not,  like  the  kingdoms  of  men,  pass 
from  one  people  to  another,  but  should  not  be  left  to  other  peo- 
ple. Fourth,  that  dt  should  have  power  to  break  in  pieces  and 
consume  all  other  kingdoms. 

The  terms  of  this  prophecy,  and  the  history  of  God's  dealings 
with  men  since  it  was  uttered,  are  such  that  no  thoughtful,  well- 
informed  man  can  suppose  that  this  event  took  place  at  the  first 
coming  and  ministry  of  the  Savior,  for  the1  following  reasons : 
first,  the  kingdoms  represented  by  the  toes  and  feet,  contem- 
porary with  which  the  kingdom  of  God  was  to  be  set  up,  did 
not  exist;  the  Roman  empire,  symbolized  by  the  legs  of  iron, 


344  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

was  that  part  of  the  image  then  extant.  Second,  the  kingdom 
spoken  of  by  Daniel  was  not  to  be  left  to  other  people,  whereas 
the  Savior  Himself  said  to  the  disciples^  as  recorded  in  Mat- 
thew xxi:  43,  "Therefore  say  I  unto  you,  the  kingdom  of  God 
shall  be  taken  from  you  and  given  to  the  nation  bringing  forth 
the  fruits  thereof."  To  this  the  testimony  of  Paul  agrees  in 
Acts  xiii:  46.  "Then  Paul  and  Barnabas  waxed  bold,  and  said,  It 
was  necessary  that  the  word  of  God  should  first  have  been 
spoken  to  you:  but  seeing  ye  put  it  from  you,  and  judge  your- 
selves unworthy  of  everlasting  life,  lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles." 

These  statements  taken  together,  as  well  as  many  other  condi- 
tions referred  to,  prove  clearly  that  the  kingdom  spoken  of  by 
Daniel  was  not  established  in  the  days  of  our  Savior.  We  are 
thus  forced  to  the  admission  that  if  the  kingdom  of  God  has  not 
come  in  this  age,  it  is  yet  to  come.  There  are,  however,  many 
other  prophecies  relating  to  the  restoration  of  the  last  days, 
which  show  not  merely  that  a  restoration  has  been  predicted, 
but  that  the  Gospel  veritably  has  been  restored  to  man  in  this 
dispensation,  with  all  the  gifts  and  blessings  which  characterized 
the  same  in  the  days  of  the  'Messiah ;  and  more,  that  a  people 
are  being  prepared  for  the  coming  and  reign  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior  Jesus  Christ. 

We  have  proved  from  the  Bible  prophecies  that  a  restoration 
of  the  Gospel  in  its  fullness,  by  modern  revelation,  would  take 
place  in  the  last  days.  We  now  desire  to  show  that  this  restor- 
ation has  taken  place,  and  that  Joseph  iSmith,  the  Prophet,  was 
the  man  through  whom  God  has  established  anew  His  Church 
upon  the  earth,  after  the  -ancient  pattern,  with  apostles,  proph- 
ets, gifts  and  blessings,  visions  and  revelations. 

Joseph  Smith  announced  to  the  world  that  he  had  received  the 
visitation  of  heavenly  messengers,  also  that  they  conferred  upon 
him  authority  to  speak  and  officiate  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
with  the  same  power  and  authority  received  and  exercised  by 
John  the  Baptist  and  the  apostle  Peter  in  ancient  times. 

Now,  the  prophecies  quoted  here  could  not  be  verified  unie'ss 
some  one  should  come  to  the  world  bearing  just  such  a  testimony 
as  that  borne  by  Joseph  Smith. 

Furthermore,  when  we  ask  Catholic  and  Protestant  ministers 
if  an  angel  has  come  to  any  of  them  with  the  everlasting  Gospel, 
they  answer  in  the  negative,  and  deride  the  idea  of  new  revela- 


RESTORATION  OF  THE    GOSPEL.  345 

tion.  Ask  them  if  Elijah  the  Prophet  has  .'ome  to  them,  to  plant 
in  the  hearts  of  the  children  the  promise,  made  to  the  fathers. 
They  say  no.  Has  the  messenger  spoken  c  i  by  Malachi  come  to 
you  and  taught  you  how  to  build  a  temple  to  the  Lord,  that  He 
may  "suddenly  come  to  His  temple?"  The"  very  question  itself 
is  treated  with  utter  astonishment,  and  thv$  n?an  who  asks  it  is 
regarded  as  being  erratic.  We  must  therefore  turn  from  sects 
having  forms  of  godliness  "but  denying  the  power  thereof,"  to 
other  sources  to  find  some  one  who  has  received,  or  shall  re- 
ceive, the  revelations  of  the  Almighty  in  the  last  days. 

One  thing  is  certain,  if  the  claims  of  the"  Latter-day  Saints  are 
not  true,  then  some  one  must  come  in  the  future  with  just  such 
claims.  We  ask  the  question,  will  the  world  be  any  better  pre- 
pared to  receive  a  message  of  this  character  in  the  future  than 
it  is  today?  Certainly  the  hearts  of  the  people  are  not  being 
prepared  for  such  testmonies  by  the  influence  and  teachings  of 
modern  ministers.  Gome",  dear  readers,  let  us  reason  together ; 
let  us  divest  our  minds  of  all  prejudice.  "Prove  all  things,  hold 
fast  that  which  is  good,"  and  ask  the  question,  what  consti- 
tutes complete  evidence  that  a  man  is  a  prophet  of  God? 

To  be  a  reliable"  witness  in  a  human  court,  an  individual  must 
be  a  person  of  veracity,  whose  honor  cannot  be  impeached.  Such 
a  man  was  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet.  His  parents  were  hard- 
working farmers.  They  had  a  standing  in  the  community  of 
virtue",  honesty,  industry  and  sincerity  in  religious  devotion,  un- 
excelled by  any.  His  forefathers  were  among  the  early  founders 
of  New  England,  who  came  from  the  "mother  country"  to  enjoy 
Ihe  greater  liberty  of  worshiping  God  without  molestation  and 
according  to  the  dictates  of  conscience.  His  progenitors  were 
soldiers  of  the  Revolution.  They  offered  their  lives  freely  upon 
the  altar  of  liberty,  for  the  freedom  of  the  American  colonies 
and  their  descendants  for  all  generations  to  come.  From  such  a 
line  of  ancestors  came  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  If  they  were 
not  popular,  nor  great,  nor  affluent,  in  the  eyes  of  the  world, 
neither  were  the  immediate  ancestry  of  Jesus  and  His  apostles. 
If  Joseph  was  poor  and  earned  his  bread  by  the  sweat  of  his 
brow,  so  did  most  all  of  the  prophets  since  the  world  began.  He 
enjoyed  the  reputation,  among  those  who  knew  him  best,  in 
every  state  in  which  he  lived  throughout  life,  of  being  an 
honest,  industrious,  virtuous,  patriotic  man.  On  truniped-up 


346  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

charges  by  the  enemies  of  truth,  he  was  arrested  and  tried 
thirty-nine  times  in  courts  not  conducted  by  men  of  his  own 
faith,  and  thirty-nine  times  he  was  honorably  acquitted.  The 
last  time  he  was  arrested,  his  enemies  said,  "If  the  law  cannot 
reach  him,  powder  and  lead  shall."  How  like  the  experience  of 
Jesus  before  Pilate !  Honorably  acquitted  by  the  judges,  they 
cried  out,  "Let  His  blood  be  upon  us  and  our  children!"  And 
so  it  has  been;  the  same  is  true  of  those  who  shed  the  blood  of 
the  Prophet  and  Patriarch  in  these  last  days. 

In  view  of  the  unpopularity  of  believing  in  angels  and  revela- 
tions in  this  age,  what  purpose  could  a  man  have  in  view,  to 
make  such  a  declaration,  unless  it  was  true?  Joseph  Smith 
gained  no  popularity  or  honors  of  men  by  it ;  he  made  no 
wealth  of  a  worldly  character  by  such  a  course.  On  the  other 
hand,  he  suffered  ignominy,  scorn,  and  persecution  in  almost 
every  form,  including  hunger,  fatigue,  exile,  imprisonment  and 
death  at  the  hands  of  assassins.  If  it  could  be  urged  with  the 
least  propriety  that  when  he  announced  his  first  vision  he  was 
so  young — only  about  fifteen  years  of  age  (not  much  older  than 
Samuel  the  prophet  when  God  called  him)— that  he  did  not 
realize  the  terrible  consequences  of  such  a  testimony,  he  certainly 
realized  in  a  very  short  time  and  had  every  opportunity  to  cor- 
lect  his  assertions  had  they  been  false. 

Human  nature  is  not  such  as  to  maintain  known  errors  with 
such  unwavering  integrity  and  consistency  against  the  bitter 
opposition  of  the  world  from  boyhood  to  the  grave.  Yet  with 
all  bis  increasing  trials  and  persecutions,  which  rolled  upon  him 
all  his  life  like  the  angry  waves  of  the  ocean,  driven  by  the 
winds  against  the"  peaceful  shore,  he  never  faltered.  His  testi- 
mony never  wavered.  He  testified  that  he  saw  God  the  Father 
and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  received  of  the  ministrations  of 
John  the  Baptist,  Pete'r,  James  and  John,  Elijah  and  other 
prophets  who  lived  in  bygone  ages.  With  an  understanding  of 
these  circumstances  and  a  knowledge  of  his  character,  the  charge 
of  fraud  and  dishonesty  cannot  be  laid  against  him.  If  so,  eveTy 
prophet  since  the  world  began  can  be  counted  a  dishonest  man. 

The  question  which  naturally  follows  in  this  place  is :  Could 
Joseph  Smith  be  mistaken?  In  answer  we  say :  He'  was  not  a 
religious  zealot.  He  was  a  young  man  of  a  practical  turn  of 
mind.  While  not  a  skeptic,  he  was  reasonable,  and  thought 


RESTORATION   OF   THE    GOSPEL.  347 

that  men  professing  to  be  the  servants  of  the*  Lord  should  give 
proof  of  their  calling  similar  to  that  given  by  the  ancient  proph- 
ets. If  they  had  the  true  Gospel,  with  the  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  they  sthould  not  be1  full  of  contradictions  on  doctrine,  at 
least.  This  feature  shows  that  Joseph  was  of  a  disposition  not 
easily  deluded  by  the  unfounded  theories  of  men.  He  belonged 
to  no  church,  and  like  the  anciemt  apostles,  was  free  from  pre- 
conceived dogmas  and  theories.  He  had  no  system  to  bolster  up 
nor  pet  theory  to  maintain.  His  mind  was  free  and  of  an  order 
most  likely  to  be  selected  for  the  great  work  which  the  Lord 
assigned  him. 

The  circumstances  which  led  to  Joseph  Smith's  prayer  offered 
in  the  grove  near  Palmyra,  New  York,  in  the  spring  of  1820, 
were  these :  A  great  religious  revival  had  been  in  progress.  He 
attended.  It  consisted  of  people  who  were  Baptists,  Methodists, 
Presbyterians,  etc.,  represented  in  the  pulpit  by  their  respective 
ministers.  When  a  convert  joined  the  Baptists  the  other  min- 
isters would  say :  "This  is  the"  way ;  walk  ye  in  it."  And  an- 
other :  "This  is  right ;  follow  this  way."  Yet  their  doctrines 
were  in  conflict.  He  could  get  no  light  from  them.  In  this 
frame  of  mind  he  commenced  to  read  the  Scriptures.  He1  came 
to  the  first  chapter  of  James,  fifth  and  sixth  verses.  This  reads 
as  follows:  "If  any  of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God, 
that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally  and  upbraideth  not ;  and  it  shall 
be  given  him.  But  let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing  wavering,  for 
he  that  wavereth  is  like  a  wave  of  the  sea,  driven  with  the  wind 
and  tossed.  For,  let  not  that  man  think  that  he  shall  receive 
anything  from  the  Lord."  Joseph  believed  the  promise.  He 
put  it  to  the  test.  He  knelt  in  a  grove  of  timber,  and  asked 
God  which  denomination  was  right.  While"  thus  engaged  an 
unseen  power  seized  him,  tied  his  tongue,  as  it  were,  and  appa- 
rently would  have  destroyed  his-  life.  Here  are1  Joseph's  words, 
quoted  from  the  "Pearl  of  Great  Price,"  page  59:  "Just  at  this 
moment  of  great  alarm  I  saw  a  pillar  of  light  exactly  over  my 
head,  above1  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  which  descended  grad- 
ually until  it  fell  upon  me.  It  no  sooner  appeared  than  I  found 
myself  delivered  from  the  enemy  which  held  me  bound.  When 
the  light  rested  upon  me  I  saw  two  personages,  whose  brightness 
and  glory  defy  all  description,  standing  above  me  in  the  air. 
One  of  them  spoke  unto  me,  calling  me  by  name,  and  said  (point- 


348  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

ing  to  the  other),  "This  is  my  beloved  Son1.  Hear  Him.'  In 
answer  to  my  question,  which  of  the  sects  were  right,  He  an- 
swered that  nome  of  them  were,  and  I  was  forbidden  of  the  Lord 
to  join  any  of  them." 

This  prayer  was  offered  by  an  honest  boy,  seeking  after  truth, 
unable  to  get  the  whole  truth  from  men.  Would  the  Lord  suffer 
such  a  prayer  to  go  unanswered,  or  suffer  this  boy  to  be  de- 
ceived hy  iSatan?  All  reason,  all  Scripture  answers,  no.  "Ask 
and  ye  shall  receive ;  knock  and  it  sihall  be  opened  unto  you." 
If  a  son  ask  his  father  for  bread  "will  he  give  him  a  stone?" 
If  he  ask  for  fish  will  he  give  him  a  serpent?"  The  Savior 
answers,  no.  If  it  is  argued  that  Joseph  was  alone  and  no  one 
else  present  to  corroborate  his  testimony,  we  have  two  answers : 
One  is  that  those  determined  to  reject  such  revelations  will 
deny  the  veracity  of  two  or  three  men  as  readily  as  the  asser- 
tion of  one;  the  other  is  that  those  who  believe  the  Bible,  to  be 
consistent,  if  they  doubt  the  testimony  of  Joseph  because  he  was 
alone,  must  also  doubt  the  testimony  of  'Moses,  who  was  alone 
when  God  spoke"  to  him  from  the  burning  bush,  and  again  when 
he  stood  in  His  presence  en  the  mount  and  received  the  Ten 
Commandments.  Will  they  doubt  that  Isaiah  saw  the  Lord  in 
the  days  of  King  Uzziah?  (Isa.  vi.).  Because  Stephen  alone 
saw  God  and  His  Son  in  the*  last  moments  of  His  life,  is  his  tes- 
timony false?  Paul  saw  the  Savior,  but  the  men  who  were 
with  him  saw  Him  not.  Yet  the  Christian)  world  believes  that 
Paul  saw  the  Lord,  even  though  other  men  in  the  presence  of 
Paul  did  not  see1  him. 

While  Joseph  was  alone  on  the  occasion  above  related,  he  was 
not  alone  in  all  the  manifestations  which  the  Lord  gave  him. 
We  have  other  honest  witnesses  who  corroborate  the"  testimony 
of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  their  testimony  has  not  been 
impeached.  They  were  men  of  good  repute'.  On  the  5th  day  of 
May,  1829,  John  the  Baptist  appeared  to  Joseph  Smith  and 
Oliver  Cowdery,  laid  his  hands  upon  their  heads  and  conferred 
upon  them  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  which  holds  authority  to 
preach  the1  principles  of  the  Gospel  and  baptize  in  water  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  but  not  authority  to  administer  in  the  laying 
on  of  hands  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood was  held  by  John  the  Baptist,  by  Philip,  who  baptized  the 
Samaritans,  and  by  others  in  the  times  of  the  apostles.  Sub- 


RESTORATION   OF  THE    GOSPEL.  349 

sequent  to  this  Peter,  James  and  John  presented  themselves  to 
the  same  men,  Joseph  and  Oliver,  conferring  upon  them  the 
holy  apostleship,  which  included  authority  to  organize  the 
Church  in  its  fullness  and  to  open  the  door  of  the  Gospel  to  all 
nations. 

Passing  over  the  many  remarkable  manifestations  given  to 
the  Prophet  and  others,  we  will  conclude  this  part  of  the  sub- 
ject by  reference  to  the1  statements  of  the  three  witnesses  re- 
specting the  Book  of  Mormon.  Their  testimony  will  be  found  in 
the  title  pages  of  every  copy  of  that  sacred  volume,  signed  with 
their  names — Oliver  Cowdery,  David  Whitmer  and  Martin  Har- 
ris. They  assert  that  an  angel  appeared  before  them,  held  in 
his  hands  the  metallic  plates,  giving  an  account  of  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  America ;  their  origin,  history  and  destiny ;  the 
dealings  of  God  with  them ;  and  the  fullness  of  the  Gospel  as 
taught  by  the  Savior  and  ancient  prophets  on  this  land,  from 
which  sacred  plates  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  translated  into  Eng- 
lish. The  witnesses  saw  and  handled  the"  plates-,  and  gave  their 
solemn  testimony  to  the  world.  Under  all  circumstances  the  wit- 
nesses maintained  their  testimony  to  the  end  in  private  and 
public;  to  all  who  came  to  ask  of  them,  they  told  the  same 
unchanging  story.  Another  feature  of  this  evidence  of  these 
three  witnesses  is  this :  In  the  course  of  time  they  transgressed 
the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Church,  and  of  necessity  had  to 
be  excommunicated.  Having  thus  fallen  away  from  their  ad- 
herence to  the  Church,  from  their  association  and  fellowship 
with  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  they  were  placed  in  a  condition 
where  every  inducement  was  presented  them  to  deny  their  te's- 
timony  and  in  this  way  frustrate  the  scheme,  if  it  had  been 
false.  If  such  a  procedure  had  been  possible  they  could  thereby 
gain  the  fellowship  and  applause  of  the  world  for  exposing  to 
ridicule  and  shame  the  man  who  came  to  the  world  with  a  New 
Dispensation.  But  they  did  not  do  this.  Being  outside  the 
pale  of  the  Chruch,  may  they  not  be  called  truly  disinterested 
witnesses,  witnesses  stronger  in  that  sense  than  can  be  pro- 
duced to  substantiate  the  divinity  of  ancient  Jewish  Scriptures? 
The  writer  once  sat  in  the  presence  of  David  Whitmer  and  can 
testify  from  personal  contact  with  him  that  he  was  firm  and  un- 
shaken in  the  testimony  which  he  bore  to  the  divine  authenticity 
cf  the  Book  of  Mormon.  In  David  Whitmer's  dying  hours, 


350  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

when  enemies  of  this  work  may  have  had  some  hopes  of  his  re- 
canting, he  asked  the  leading  men  of  Richmond,  Mo.,  if  they 
'  could  honestly  give  an  affidavit  before  an  officer  that,  from  their 
acquaintance  and  dealings  with  him,  he  was  a  man  of  honesty 
and  truth.  This  they  did,  and  published  it.  They  were  men 
not  of  Mr.  Whitmer's  religious  views.  With  that  affidavit 
signed  by  about  twelve  leading  business  men  of  the  town,  and  the 
testimony  of  his  physician  that  his  mind  was  perfectly  sound, 
he  published  again  to  the  world  his  testimony  that  he  had  seen 
the  angel,  had  handled  the  plates,  and  that  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  the  divinely  translated  record. 

In  connection  with  the  coming  forth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
a  remarkable  prophecy  of  Isaiah  has  be'en  strikingly  verified  : 
"And  the  vision  of  all  is  become  unto  you  as  the  words  of  a 
book  that  is  sealed  which  men  deliver  to  one  that  is  learned, 
saying,  Read  this,  I  pray  thee :  and  he  saith,  I  cannot ;  for  it  is 
sealed  :  and  the  book  is  delivered  to  him  that  is  not  learned,  say- 
ing, Read  this,  I  pray  thee :  and  he  saith,  I  am  not  learned." 
(Isaiah  xxix:  11,  12.)  When  Joseph  obtained  the  plates  he  dis- 
covered that  a  portion  of  them  were"  sealed  and  learned  from  the 
angel  that  the  time  had  not  come  to  publish  that  part  of  the 
volume,  but  from  the  unsealed  plates  he  copied  some  characters 
and  sent  them  by  'Martin  Harris  to  a  learned  linguist  in  New 
York — Prof.  Anthon.  The  learned  man  examined  them  and  gave 
Mr.  Harris  a  certificate"  testifying  that  they  were  true  characters 
of  Hebrew  and  reformed  Egyptian.  Before  leaving,  the  learned 
man  asked  Mr.  Harris  to  bring  him  the  plates  and  he  would 
translate  them.  Mr.  Harris  answered  that  he  was  forbidden  to 
do  that,  and  also  that  a  portion  of  the"  plates  were  sealed.  He 
replied,  "I  cannot  read  a  sealed  book,"  and  asked  where  Joseph 
Smith  obtained  them.  When  answered  that  an  angel  revealed 
them,  he  asked  to  see  the  certificate  he  had  given  of  their  genu- 
ineness. It  was  handed  him  and  he  tore  it  up  in  a  rage,  saying, 
"Angels  do  not  appear  nowadays."  The  words  of  the  book,  not 
the  book  itself,  were  delivered  to  the  learned  man,  as  Isaiah 
said  they  would  be.  He  said  he  could  not  read  a  sealed  book, 
as  Isaiah  said  he  would  say.  The  book  itself  was  delivered  to 
Joseph,  the  unlettered  youth,  and  in  his  humility  he  said,  I  am 
not  learned ;  but  God  gave  the  gift  of  translation,  that  it  should 


RESTORATION  OF  THE    GOSPEL.  351 

be  done;    not  by  the  wisdom  and  learning  of  men,  but  by  the 
power  of  God. 

Other  Bible  prophecies  might  be  quoted  referring  to  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  but  our  purpose  at  present  is  not  to  treat 
upon  that  sacred  record,  but  incidentally  to  show  that  its  com 
ing  forth  furnishes  strong  evidence  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a 
Prophet  of  God.  How  it  would  be  possible  for  an  unsophisti- 
cated youth  to  devise  a  scheme  that  would  answer  in  its  work- 
ings so  minutely  the  details  of  ancient  prophecy,  unless  God 
inspired  him,  should  require  far  more  credulity  to  believe  than  it 
would  that  he  was  sent  of  God,  and  thus  attribute  to  the  Al- 
mighty the  honor  for  the  great  work. 

With  this  array  of  corroborating  witnesses,  and  the  practical 
character  of  Joseph  Smith,  we  do  not  see  the  possibility  of  his 
being  mistaken  any  more  than  were  Paul,  Stephen,  Moses,  Peter, 
James  and  John  and  all  the  ancient  prophets.  It  should  be  re- 
membered that  God  has  His  own  way  and  does  not  show  Himself 
openly  to  all  the  people,  but  to  chosen  witnesses.  "Him  God 
raised  up  the  third  day,  and  showed  Him  openly,  not  to  all  the! 
people,  but  to  witnesses  chosen  before  God."  (Acts  x:  40,  41.) 

We  come  now  to  another  phase  of  evidence  that  the  Gospel 
has  been  restored,  namely,  that  the  organization  of  the  Church 
as  established  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  also  the  doc- 
trines taught  by  him,  are  in  perfect  accord  with  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible.  The  proof  of  this  is  given  in  other  chap- 
ters of  this  volume.  The  evidence  there  given  of  the  divine  mis- 
sion of  Joseph  Smith  is  all  the  stronger  when  we  take  into  con- 
sideration the  fact  that  for  seventeen  centuries  learned  men 
have  been  organizing  churches1  and  teaching  what  they  esteemed 
to  be  the  essentials  of  salvation,  without  being  able  from  the 
fragmentary  teachings  of  the  apostles  to  organize  a  church  with 
apostles,  prophets,  seventies,  etc.  The  force  of  this  condition  is 
also  enhanced  when  we  recall  that  each  generation  of  reformers 
has  possessed  the  advantages  arising  from  the  experience  and 
conclusions  of  each  generation  preceding  them.  Neither  has 
been  able  to  unite  upon  the  principles  essential  for  mankind  to 
obey  in  order  to  secure  salvation. 

Joseph  Smith  presents  to  the  world  a  system  which  is  a  mon- 
ument of  inspiration,  both  as  to  the  scriptural  evidence  that  the 
organization  is  divine  and  in  the  fact  that  the  practical  workings 


352  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

thereof  are  perfect.  He  does  not  stop  at  this.  He  says  to  his 
followers  that  on  condition  of  their  acceptance  of  faith  in  God 
and  in  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  repentance*  from  all  sin,  baptism 
by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  the  laying  on  of 
hands  by  Elders  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  they  shall  receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  the  fruits 
thereof  are  the  same"  as  in  olden  times ;  they  shall  prophesy, 
speak  in  tongues,  have  dreams,  visions,  revelations,  healings  and 
miracles.  There  are  in  the  Church  today  310,000  souls.  Of  this 
number  many  are  children,  but  the  thousands  who  have  arrived 
at  the  years  of  accountability  have  put  the  promise  to  the  test, 
and  the  universal  testimony  of  these  people  is  that  they  have 
received  knowledge  of  God  for  themselves.  The  tens  of  thou- 
sands, also,  who  have"  passed  from  life,  since  the  date  of  the 
organization  of  the  Church  (1830),  received  the  same  testimony. 

During  the  troubles  of  the  Saints  in  Illinois,  judge  Stephen 
A.  Douglas  was  an  acquaintance  of  Joseph  Smith  and  his  people. 
He  knew  the  injustice  heaped  upon  them  by  his  personal  ac- 
quaintance with  the  facts.  While  in  the  presence  of  judge 
Douglas  and  others,  the  judge  requested  the  Prophet  to  give  him 
a  history  of  the  persecutions  in  Missouri,  which  he  did.  While 
addressing  the  judge  the  Prophet  said :  "Judge,  you  will  as- 
pire to  the  presidency  of  the  United  States ;  and  if  you  ever  turn 
your  hand  against  me  or  the  Latter-day  >Saints,  you  will  feel  the 
weight  of  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  upon  you  ;  and  you  will  live 
to  see  and  know  that  I  have  testified  the1  truth  to  you ;  for  the 
conversation  of  this  day  will  stick  to  you  through  life."  (Deseret 
News,  Sept.  24th,  1856.) 

Judge  Douglas  aspired,  as  stated,  to  the  Presidency  of  the 
United  States,  and  was  nominated  for  that  position  on  June 
23d,  1860,  at  the  Democratic  convention  held  in  Charleston. 
When  he  thus  aspired  he  was  a  popular  man,  eloquent  and 
gifted,  and  no  one  seemed  to  have  brighter  hopes  of  succe'ss. 
However,  in  his  mistaken  effort  to  win  popular  approval,  in  a 
speech  delivered  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  June  12th,  1857,  he,  in 
defiance  of  his  own  knowledge  of  the  Latter-day  Saints  and  their 
character,  said  :  "The  knife  must  be  applied  to  this  pestiferous, 
body  politic.  It  must  be  cut  out  by  the"  roots  and  seared  over  by 
the  red-hot  iron  of  stern  and  unflinching  law."  Much  more  he 
uttered  against  the  Latter-day  Saints,  in  harmony  with  misguid- 


RESTOBATION   OF  THE    GOSPEL.  353 

ed  public  sentiment.  When  the  election  came  Douglas  was 
badly  defeated.  Of  the  electoral  vote's  he  had  but  twelve.  He 
carried  but  one  state.  Feeling  "the  weight  of  the  hand  of  the 
Almighty  upon  him,"  he  died  a  disappointed,  heart-broken  man, 
in  less  than  a  year,  in  the  prime  of  life,  being  but  forty-eight 
years  of  age.  Thus  the  word  of  the  Lord  was  fulfilled  with  ter- 
rible accuracy. 

Again  Joseph  said :  "I  prophesied  that  the  Saints  would  con- 
tinue to  suffer  much  affliction  and  would  be  driven  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains;  many  would  apostatize,  others  would  be  put  to  death 
by  our  persecutors  or  lose  their  lives  in  consequence  of  exposure 
and  disease ;  and  some  of  you  will  live  to  go  and  assist  in  making 
settlements  and  build  cities  and  see  the  Saints  become  a  mighty 
people  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky  Mountains."  ( Mill.  Star,  Vol. 
xix.,  page  630.)  The  Saints  did  continue  to  suffer  much  persecu- 
tion, some  did  apostatize,  others  did  die  of  exposure,  disease  and 
privation.  Others  were  put  to  death  by  persecutors ;  some  lived 
to  go  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  They  have  assisted  there  in 
building  cities,  towns  and  temples,  in  making  a  great  common- 
wealth, and  the  Saints  have  become  a  mighty  people  in  the  midst 
of  these  mountains.  They  attract  the  attention  of  the  world. 
"A  city  set  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hid."  These  prophecies,  uttered 
by  Joseph  Smith,  have  come  to  pass,  as  have  many  others,  and 
that,  too,  contrary  to  all  human  prospects.  All  his  prophecies 
not  yet  verified  relate  to  future  times,  and  will  come  to  pass  as 
literally  and  exactly  as  those  of  the"  past  or  those  of  any  other 
prophet  since  the  world  began,  for  God  inspired  and  Joseph 
spoke. 

Having  finished  his  mission,  accomplished  all  in  the  flesh  the 
Lord  gave  him  to  do.  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  suffered  the* 
shedding  of  his  blood  at  the  hands  of  a  wicked  mob,  June  27th, 
1844,  in  Carthage,  Illinois.  Why  was  he  slain?  His  doctrine, 
his  promises,  his  life,  his  prophecies,  all  proved  him  to  be  a 
prophet  of  God  before1  he  died  a  martyr.  Let  the  Scriptures 
answer  the  question :  "For  where  a  testament  is,  there  must 
also  of  a  necessity  be  the  death  of  the  testator."  (Heb.  ix :  16.) 
God  gave  to  the  world  through  Joseph  Smith  a  new  testament 
of  the  plan  of  salvation.  He  gave  the  Book  of  Mormon,  a 
record  of  the  Gospel  to  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  America.  He 
gave  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  containing  the  revelations  of 
23 


354  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

God  to  the  Saints  of  the*  last  days.  These  do  not  supplant  the 
Bible.  They  prove  it  true,  and  all  agree  in  one.  "In  the  rnoutn 
of  two  or  three  witnesses  shall  every  word  be  established." 
Through  Joseph,  to  this  generation,  came"  the  witness  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Priesthood.  By  the 
continuation  of  that  authority  the  Church  exists  today,  with  the 
Prophet  Joseph  F.  Smith  as  its  earthly  living  head.  Every  Elder 
of  the  Church  can  trace  his  authority  back  directly  to  Joseph 
Smith,  who  was  ordained  by  the  apostles  Peter,  James  and 
John,  who  received  it  from  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Joseph  Smith's  testimony  is  weighty.  It  effe'cts  the  whole 
world.  The  evidence  must  also  be  weighty,  and  it  can  now  be 
said  that  no  class  of  evidence  was  withheld.  He  gave  all  that 
any  Prophet  ever  gave,  including  life  itself.  He  sealed  his  testi- 
mony with  his  blcod  and  his  testimony  is  in  force  upon  all  the 
world.  The  sealing  of  his  testimony  with  his  blood  also  accords 
with  ancient  prophecy.  John  the  Revelator  was  called  into  a 
high  mountain  to  see  the  visions  of  the  future.  Read  (Rev.  iv  :1). 
Also,  among  other  things,  the  apostle  says :  "And  when  he  had 
opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the"  altar  the  souls  of  them 
that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  for  the  testimony  which 
they  held  :  And  they  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying :  How  long, 
O  Lord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood 
on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth?  And  white  robes  we're  given 
y.nto  every  one  of  them ;  and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they 
should  rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow  servants  also 
and  their  brethren,  that  should  be  killed  as  they  were,  should  be! 
fulfilled."  (Rev.  vi:9-ll.) 

Joseph  Smith,  the  great  Prophet  of  the  last  days,  and  his  mar- 
tyred brother,  the  Patriarch  Hyrum  Smith,  were  among  these 
fellow  servants  who  were  to  be  slain.  They  have  fulfilled  this 
hist  requirement  of  their  earthly  existence.  Their  testimony  is 
true,  attested  by  every  evidence  that  man  could  give  or  the  world 
inquire.  That  testimony  is  binding  upon  all  the  world.  The 
Gospel  has  been  restored  to  man,  through  Joseph  Smith,  in  all  its 
fullness.  Will  men  obey  the  divine  message?  A  proper  answer 
by  every  individual  is  of  the  greatest  importance. 


THE  CHURCH. 

The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  is  the  organ- 
ization through  which  the  Lord  is  accomplishing  the  declaration 
of  the  Gospel  in  the  last  days,  gathering  Israel,  administering 
the  ordinances  of  salvation,  and,  in  short,  is  accomplishing  the 
work  of  redemption — that  accomplishment  which  has  been  pre- 
dicted by  the  mouths  of  all  His  holy  prophets  since  the  world 
began.  The  Church  is  called  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  because 
it  is  His.  He  directed  how  and  when  to  organize  it,  pointing 
out  by  direct  revelation  the  manner  of  Church  government;  the 
principles  and  ordinances  of  the  Gospel;  the  blessings  to  be  en- 
joyed by  those  who  obey  Him,  and  also  the  respective  duties  of 
each  quorum  or  council  of  the  Holy  priesthood.  The  words 
"Latter-day  Saints"  are  used  to  distinguish  it  from  the  former- 
day  dispensation,  or  from  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Former- 
day  Saints. 

The  authority  of  God  delegated  to  man  is  called  the  Holy 
priesthood.  This  priesthood  is  arranged  under  two  great  heads. 
The  lesser  branch  is  called  the  Levitical  or  Aaronic,  because 
it  was  conferred  upon  Aaron  and  his  posterity.  It  holds  the" 
keys  of  the  administration  of  angels,  administering  the  outward 
ordinances  of  the  Gospel,  such  as  "baptism  by  immersion  for 
the  remission  of  sins,"  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  the 
receiving  and  distribution  of  tithe's  and  offerings,  all  subject  to 
the  direction  of  the  high  priesthood.  The  officers  in  the  Aaronic 
priesthood  consist  of  Bishops,  Priests,  Teachers  and  Deacons. 
There  is  a  presiding  Bishop,  who  holds  the  keys  of  this  priest- 
hood, also  other  Bishops,  who  preside  over  the  interests  of  the 
lesser  priesthood  in  Wards  of  Branches,  looking  after  the  tem- 
poral interests  of  the  Saints.  The  Priests  are  standing  minis- 
ters, organized  into  quorums  of  forty-eight  in  each.  . 

The  duty  of  the  Priest  is  to  visit  the  home  of  each  member, 
expound  the  Scripture,  invite  all  to  come  unto  Christ  and  exhort 
the  Saints  to  perform  every  duty  enjoined  by  the  Gospel. 

Teachers   are  organized   into  quorums   of   twenty-four   each. 


356  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTBINB. 

The  duty  of  those  bearing  this  office  is  to  see  that  the  Saints  dc 
tteir  duty  and  entertain  no  ill-feelings  toward  their  fellow- 
beings,  and  that  no  iniquity  exists  in  the  Church.  The'se  general 
duties,  common  to  all  Saints,  consist  in  living  a  chaste,  honest, 
upright,  temperate  and  industrious  life,  attending  to  secret  and 
family  prayers,  attendance  at  meetings  of  worship,  partaking 
of  the  sacrament,  the  payment  of  tithes  and  offerings,  observing 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  kindred  obligations,  all  made  plain  in  the 
revelations  of  God  to  the  Church. 

The  Deacons  are  organized  into  quorums  of  twelve  each,  and 
are  to  assist  the  Teacher  in  all  the  duties  of  his  calling,  as  occa- 
sion may  require,  but  their  especial  duty  is  to  look  after  the 
houses  of  worship,  keep  them  clean,  see  to  the  arrangement  of 
seats  and  the  seating  of  the  people  in  public  assemblies  of  wor- 
ship, and  such  other  'labors  under  the  direction  of  the  Bishop  as 
may  conduce  to  the  welfare  of  the  Church. 

The  Melchisedek  or  higher  priesthood  holds  the  keys  to  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  It  has  the  power  to  seal  on  earth,  and 
what  is  done  is.  sealed  in  heaven ;  to  loose  on  earth  and  it  is 
loosed  in  heaven ;  to  receive  the  revelations  of  God ;  to  guide 
the  Church  in  all  things,  and  to  understand  the"  mysteries  of 
godliness  as  far  as  they  are  revealed  to  men  in  the  flesh.  In 
ancient  times  these  keys  and  fullness  of  authority  were  given 
to  Peter  when  the  :Savior  said  to  him :  "And  I  give  unto  thee 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  (Matt,  xvi:  19.) 

The  offices  of  this  priesthood  consist  of  the  First  Presidency, 
a  quorum  of  three,  bearing  the  'holy  apostleship,  and  as  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Church  on  earth  typifies  the  heavenly,  these 
three  symbolize  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,  and  hold 
the  keys  of  authority  over  all  departments  of  the  Church,  on  all 
matters,  spiritual  and  temporal,  even  as  the  Godhead  is  the" 
great  ruling  power  of  the  universe,  the  heavens  and  the  earth 
and  all  that  in  them  is. 

Next  come  the  Twelve  Apostles,  who  hold  the  keys  of  opening 
the  door  of  salvation  to  all  nations,  kindreds,  tongues  and 
peoples.  The  reason  that  this  quorum  numbers  twelve  is  in 
honor  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  Jesus  said  to  the  Twelve 
at  Jerusalem:  "Thou  shalt  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging 
the  whole  house  of  Israel ;"  and  again,  upon  the  foundations 
of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  were  to  be  the  names  of  the  "Twelve 


THE   CHURCH.  357 

Apostles  of  the  Lamb."  The  Church  in  government  is  "built 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ 
Himself  being  the  chief  corner  stone."  (Eph.  ii  :19,  20.)  The 
duty  of  the  Twelve  is  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  all  nations  and  to 
send  the  same  by  their  associates,  the  Seventies. 

The  Seventies  are  organized  into  quorums  of  seventy  in  each, 
presided  over  by  seven  of  their  number.  Their  especial  calling 
is,  like  that  of  the  Twelve,  to  be  witnesses  of  the  truth  in  aii 
the  world,  and  they  are  the  ones  especially  appointed  to  asso- 
ciate with  the  Twelve  in  conveying  the  Gospel  message  to  ail 
mankind. 

The  office  of  High  Priest  is  one  of  presidency.  The  High 
Priests  are  not  limited  to  any  especial  number  to  constitute  a 
quorum,  but  any  number  existing  in  a  Stake  of  Zion  is  a 
quorum,  presided  over  by  three  of  their  members.  High  Priests 
are  chosen  to  preside  over  Stakes  of  Zion,  to  act  as  High  Coun- 
selors, preside  over  temples,  officiate  in  the  ordinances  of  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  and,  where  the  literal  descendants  of  Aaron 
are  not  found,  the  High  Priest  is  chosen  to  officiate  in  the 
Bishopric.  Where  men  are  found  among  the  Seventies  or  Elders 
in  any  Ward  or  'Stake,  more  suitable  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the 
Ward  Bishopric,  Stake  Presidency,  or  High  Council,  than  the 
resident  High  Priests,  such  men  are  selected  and  ordained  to 
the  office  of  High  Priest. 

As  standing  ministers  in  Wards  and  Stakes  the  office  of  Elder 
exists,  and  a  quorum  of  Elders  numbers  ninety-six.  They  have 
authority  to  preach  the  Gospel,  baptize,  confirm,  administer  the 
sacrament,  anoint,  and  lay  on  hands  for  the  healing  of  the  sick, 
but  differ  from  the  Seventies  in  not  being  under  the  especial 
duty  of  traveling  abroad  to  preach  the  Gospel.  They  have 
authority,  however,  as  do  High  Priests,  to  travel  abroad  and 
preach  the  Gospel  when  called  by  the  Presidency  of  the  Church. 

There  is  in  the  Church  a  presiding  Patriarch,  and  other  Pa- 
triarchs in  all  the  Stakes  of  Zion.  The  duty  of  this  high  office 
is  to  impart  blessings  to  the  Saints  of  God.  In  presenting  the 
general  authorities  of  the  Church  the  name  of  the  Patriarch  is 
presented  next  to  the  Twelve  Apostles. 

The  general  authorities  of  the  Church,  presented  for  the 
acceptance  of  the  Church  at  every  general  conference,  are  the 
Presidency,  the  Twelve  Apostles,  the  Patriarch,  the  Seven 


358  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

Presidents  of  'Seventies,  and  the  Presiding  Bishopric  of  the 
Church.  The  names  of  the  officers  in  the  Priesthood  are 
Apostles,  Patriarchs,  High  Priests,  Seventies,  Elders,  Bishops, 
Priests,  Teachers  and  Deacons. 

When  difficulties  arise  between  members  of  the  Church  and 
they  fail  to  settle  by  themselves  and  the  assistance  of  one  or 
two  witnesses,  as  the  Savior  directs,  the  Bishopric  of  the  Ward 
form  an  ecclesiastical  court,  to  which  the  disputants  can  refer 
their  difficulties.  If  the  decision  is  unsatisfactory  to  either  party, 
there  is  a  court  of  appeal  in  each  Stake,  called  the  High 
Council,  consisting  of  twelve  High  Priests  presided  over  by  the 
Presidency  of  the  Stake.  From  their  decision  an  appeal  can 
be  had  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Church,  which  is  the  end  of 
controversy.  Trials  by  these  courts  are  conducted  free  of 
charge.  They  are  to  exercise  the  functions  of  their  calling  with- 
out partiality  and  with  the  fear  of  God  before  their  eyes,  and 
to  be?  guided  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  in  their  conclusions. 

In  the  selection  of  any  and  all  officers  in  the  Church,  the 
Saints  have  a  voice.  "No  person  is  to  be  ordained  to  any 
office  in  this  church,  where  there  is  a  regularly  organized 
branch  of  the  same,  without  the  vote  of  that  church."  (Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  section  xx,  65.)  "And  all  things  shall 
be  done  by  common  consent  in  the  Church,  by  much  prayer  and 
faith,  for  all  things  you  shall  receive  by  faith."  (Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  section  xxvi,  2.)  The  Gospel  is  a  perfect  law  of 
liberty,  and  no  people  upon  the  earth  have  broader  freedom 
and  a  stronger  voice  in  government,  religious  or  otherwise,  than 
do  the  Latter-day  Saints  in  the  governmental  and  all  other 
affairs  of  the  Church. 

The  reader  is  referred  to  the  revelations  of  God,  given  in 
the  last  days  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  for  a  more  perfect 
understanding  of  the  offices  and  duties  thereof,  pertaining  to 
the"  Church  of  Christ.  They  are  to  be  found  in  the  Book  of 
Doctrine  and  Covenants.  These  revelations*  throw  great  light 
upon  the  fragmentary  statements  of  the  New  Testament,  be- 
cause in  the  latter  no  one  can  learn  the1  relationship  of  one 
quorum  in  the  Church  to  another,  nor  the  explicit  duties  of  the 
respective  offices  in  the  Holy  Priesthood. 

This  Church  was  organized  on  the  6th  of  April,  1830,  as  far 
as  could  be,  with  the  limite'd  membership  of  six  men — Joseph 


THE  CHURCH.  359 

Smith,  Jr.,  Hyrum  Smith,  Oliver  Cowdery,  Samuel  H.  Smith, 
Peter  Whitmer,  Jr.,  and  David  Whitmer.  It  was  truly  "a 
grain  of  mustard  seed,  the  smallest  of  all  seeds,"  in  comparison 
with  other  organizations.  A  less  number  could  not  have  been 
organized  under  the  laws  of  New  York.  The  great  founder, 
under  God,  of  this  Church,  had  never  belonged  to  any  other. 
It  was  not  an  off-shoot  of  Catholic  or  Protestant,  but  as  "a 
little  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountains  without  hands,"  it  bore  no 
relationship  to  any  human  system;  and  as  the  stone  should  in- 
crease in  velocity  as  it  rolled  on,  so  has  the  Church  grown  in 
magnitude  from  the  "mustard  seed"  to  a  great  tree.  It  is 
believed  by  the  Saints  that  the  Savior  was  born  on  the  6th  of 
April,  and  that  the  organization  of  this  Church  commemorates 
that  great  event. 

On  the  llth  of  April,  1830,  Oliver  Cowdery  preached  the 
first  Gospel  discourse"  of  this  dispensation.  Soon  branches  of 
the  Church  were  raised  up  in  New  York  and  Pennsylvania. 
Men  were  brought  into  the  fold  who  later  filled  notable  places 
in  the  Church.  Brigham  Young,  John  Taylor,  Wilford  Wood- 
ruff, Lorenzo  Snow  and  other  leading  men  embraced  the  Gospel 
between  1830  and  1837.  The  Book  of  Mormon  had  been  trans- 
lated and  published  to  the  world  previously.  News  of  the  new 
dispensation  was  heralded  abroad  by  friend  and  foe.  At  that 
time  many  were  prepared  to  embrace  the  Gospel,  for  the  Lord 
had  shown  unto  them  that  the  Gospel  in  its  fullness  and  purity 
did  not  exist  in  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  systems  of  so-called 
Christianity.  The  ministration,  of  heavenly  beings  had  been 
renewed,  and  during  the  entire  lifetime  of  Joseph  Smith  he 
was  the  recipient  of  messages  from  the  eternal  worlds. 

Persecution  arose,  and  bitter  opposition  was  arrayed  against 
the  Church.  The  Prophet  was  at  times  waylaid  by  wicked 
men,  and  sometimes  arrested  upon  unfounded,  trumped-up 
charges.  From  all  these  he1  was  delivered  until  the  time  came 
for  him  to  offer  his  life  as  a  martyr. 

In  the  fall  of  1830  Oliver  Cowdery,  Parley  P.  Pratt,  John 
Whitmer  and  Ziba  Peterson  were  called  to  carry  the  Gospel 
to  the  Indians  (Lamanites),  located  in  what  was  then  the" 
western  wilds  of  these  United  States:  Near  Kirtland,  Ohio, 
they  met  Sidney  Rigdon  and  other  followers  of  Alexander 
Campbell.  The  Elders  presented  to  them  the  restored  Gospel,, 


360  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

with  the  Book  of  Mormon.  Many  of  them  received  the  truth, 
and  the  town  of  Kirtland  became  a  gathering  place  for  the 
Saints.  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet,  removed  to  that  point,  and 
the  Church  as  a  body  was  chiefly  located  there  as  early  as  1831. 

In  the  meantime  the  future  site  of  the  chief  city  of  Zion  was 
designated  by  revelation  to  the  Prophet,  dedicated  and  set  apart 
for  the  gathering  of  the  Saints.  In  1832  the1  first  periodical 
in  the  Church  was  published,  the  Evening  and  Morning  Star, 
at  Independence,  Missouri.  The  press  and  property  of  this 
publication  were  subsequently  destroyed  by  a  mob.  Persecu- 
tion, in  Missouri  became  very  bitter.  Many  of  the  Saints  were 
treated  with  bodily  violence,  their  houses  and  property  de- 
stroyed by  fire  and  themselves  expelled  from  the  county  by 
armed  mobs. 

During  this  time  Kirtland  was  being  built  up.  The  Lord 
required  the  Saints  to  build  a  temple,  in  which  to  receive 
sacred  ordinances  for  the  salvation  of  the  living  and  the  dead. 
To  this  labor  they  devoted  their  energies,  and  notwithstanding 
their  poverty  the  temple  was  completed  and  ready  for  dedica- 
tion in  March,  1836.  Joseph  'Smith,  the  Prophet,  translated 
by  inspiration  the  New  Testament,  completing  the  work  Feb. 
2,  1833.  Five  months  later  he  finished  the  translation  of  the 
Old  Testament,  so  far  as  the  Lord  indicated  the  necessity  of 
so  doing.  The  Latter-day  Saints1  Messenger  and  Advocate  was 
published  in  Kirtland.  The  Church,  though  organized  by  the 
authority  of  the  apostle'ship,  did  not  contain  sufficient  adherents 
at  first  to  organize  the  councils  of  the  priesthood,  so  as  time 
went  on  and  numbers  increased,  the  Lord  would  indicate  when 
and  how  to  organize  these  quorums.  The  quorum  of  High 
Priests  was  organized  in  Kirtland,  March  18,  1833.  The  Presi- 
dency and  High  Council  of  the  Church  were  organized  Feb.  17, 
1834.  That  of  the  Seventies  commenced  Feb.  28,  1835.  Thus 
from  time  to  time,  as  the  Church  grew  and  developed,  the  Lord 
made  plain  by  revelation  how  to  organize  every  quorum,  and 
finally  Stakes  of  Zion  and  branches  thereof  and  branches  scat- 
tered abroad. 

On  Aug.  17,  1835,  the  Book  of  Doctrine  amd  Covenants,  con- 
taining the  revelations  of  the  Lord  to  the  Church  up  to  that 
date,  was  accepted  as  a  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Between 
that  date  and  the  martyrdom  of  the  Prophet  many  revelations 


THE  CHURCH.  361 

were  given,  but  owing  to  the  poverty  and  unsettled  condition  of 
the  Church  all  of  them  were  not  published  until  subsequent  to 
the  decease  of  the  Prophet.  During  the  troubles  in  Missouri,  a 
body  of  men  called  "Zion's  Camp"  left  Kirtland  May  5,  1834, 
to  carry  supplies  and  relieve  the  distress  of  their  co-religionists, 
who  had  been  exiled  from  their  homes  in  Independence,  Mis- 
souri. They  performed  the  arduous  journey  on  foot,  through 
the  wildernesses  of  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri,  accomplished 
their  mission  and  returned  to  Ohio. 

Early  in  the  year  1836  the1  ordinances  of  blessing  and  anoint- 
ing were  attended  to  in  the  Kirtland  temple,  and  that  sacred 
edifice  was  dedicated  to  the  Lord  March  27,  1836.  In  the  tem- 
ple the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were"  poured  out  in  abundance. 
Many  saw  visions.  The  Savior,  Moses,  Elias  and  Elijah  ap- 
peared to  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery.  Previous  to  this, 
Joseph's  first  visit  was  a  personal  visit  of  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  Again  on  Feb.  16,  1832,  the  Savior  appeared  to  Joseph 
Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon,  and  revealed  to  them  the  glories  of 
the  celestial,  terrestrial  and  telestial  worlds,  and  the  suffering 
and  condemnation  of  those1  who  are  unworthy  a  kingdom  of 
glory.  In  1837,  during  the  financial  panic,  a  great  apostasy 
took  place  in  Kirtland,  which  involved  the  standing  of  several 
of  the  Twelvo  Apostles.  Persecution  raged  in  Missouri. 

Elders  Kimball,  Hyde  and  Richards  introduced  the  Gospel 
into  England  and  performed  their  first  baptism  July  30th,  1837, 
in  the  river  Ribble.  From  that  time  until  the  present  date  a 
prosperous  mission  has  been  conducted  in  Great  Britain. 
Thousands  have  joined  the  Church  in  that  land  and  gathered  to 
Zion.  Subsequently  John  Taylor  introduced  the  Gospel  into 
France,  and  with  others,  into  Germany;  Erastus  Snow  into 
Scandinavia,  and  Lorenzo  Snow  into  Italy;  and  from  these 
countries,  especially  Germany  and  Scandinavia,  thousands  have 
come  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  Into  each 
of  these  tongues,  and  others,  the  Book  of  Mormon  has  been 
translated  in  fulfillment  of  prophecy. 

The  Gospel  continued  to  spread  in  Canada,  where  it  had  been 
introduced  by  Parley  P.  Pratt,  also  in  the  United  States  and 
Europe.  Persecution  raged  in  Ohio  and  Missouri.  The  Saints 
as  a  body  left  Kirtland  July  6th,  1838,  for  Missouri,  chiefly  lo- 
cating at  Far  West,  Caldwell  county.  In  the  fall  of  that  year. 


362  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

Apostle  David  W.  Patten  fell  a  martyr  at  the  hands  of  a  mob 
on  Crooked  river ;  Joseph,  Hyrum  and  others  had  been  sent 
to  prison  without  trial  or  conviction ;  yet  the'  work  prospered 
and  spread  abroad.  During  these  sore  trials,  when  death  to 
the  Prophet  and  others  appeared  inevitable,  he  prophesied  their 
safe  deliverance?  from  the  mob  in  Missouri. 

While  Joseph  and  Hyrum  were  yet  in  prison,  Presidents 
Young  and  Kimball  led  the  suffering  Saints  to  Illinois,  where 
they  established  the  famed  city  of  Nauvoo.  To  that  point 
Joseph  and  his  brethren  made  their  escape  and  enjoyed  a  brief 
respite  from  mobocracy.  The  Prophet  predicted,  however,  that 
Nauvoo  would  not  be  a  resting  place  of  the  Saints  for  a  great 
length  of  time.  In  keeping  with  this  inspiration,  he  prophesied 
on  Aug.  6th,  1842,  of  their  coming  location  and  greatness  in 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  He  also  prepared  an  expedition  to  ex- 
plore the  West,  but  died  a  martyr  before  its  consummation. 

Although  Nauvoo  was  a  sickly  place,  the  industry  of  the 
Saints  was  attended  with  the  blessings  of  divine  Providence, 
and  the  city  grew  with  magic  speed.  A  temple  was  soon  com- 
menced. A  charter  was  obtained  from  the  State  Legislature  to 
establish  a  university,  and  prosperity  almost  unparalleled  char- 
acterized the  labors  of  the  people.  However,  the  combination 
of  political  intrigue  and  religious  bigotry  on  the  part  of  reli- 
gious professors,  coupled  with  transgressing  apostates,  soon 
conspired  to  spread  death  and  destruction  among  the  Saints. 
In  Missouri,  at  Haun's  mill  and  elsewhere,  many  had  been  shot 
down  in  cold  blood,  property  was  burned,  and  the  whole  people 
exiled  from  the  state 

In  Illinois  further  trouble  was  inaugurated  by  Missourians. 
They  sought  on  one  occasion  to  kidnap  the  Prophet,  but  failed. 
Fabricated  charges  were  made  against  the  Prophet.  He  was 
tried  as  before,  and  every  time  acquitted.  When  "his  last  trial 
was  being  conducted,  the  mob  (like  the  rabble?  in  the  halls  of 
Pilate)  said  that  if  the  law  could  not  touch  him,  powder  and 
lead  should.  Their  nefarious  purposes  were  permitted  to  be 
carried  out,  and  on  June  27th,  1844,  Joseph  and  Hyrum,  while 
under  the  pledged  protection  of  Gov.  Ford,  were  assassinated 
by  a  howling  mob  in  'Carthage  jail,  Hancock  county,  Illinois. 
Previous  to  his  martyrdom,  the  Prophet  Joseph  had  received 
more  than  one  hundred  revelations,  had  been  instrumental  in 


THE  CHURCH.  363 

organizing  the  Church  in  its  fullness,  and  bestowing  the  keys 
of  the  kingdom  of  God  upon  the  Twelve  Apostles.  To  Nauvoo 
were  gathered  thousands  of  people  from  the  several  states, 
Canada  and  Great  Britain.  At  the  time  of  the  Prophet's  mar- 
tyrdom the  Twelve  were  abroad  on  missions,  with  the  exception 
of  Elders  John  Taylor  and  Willard  Richards,  who  were  with 
the  Prophet  and  Patriarch  at  the  time  of  the  martyrdom,  Elder 
Taylor  himself  being  wounded  with  four  bullets. 

While  the  Saints  were1  in  Missouri  the  Lord  commanded  that 
they  should  importune  the  officers  of  the  law  in  the  districts 
where  the  trouble  occurred,  and  not  being  heeded,  should  appeal 
to  the  governor,  thence?  to  the  president  of  the  United  States. 
All  this  was  done,  without  avail.  The  president  answered  their 
appeal  by  saying,  "Gentlemen,  your  cause  is  just,  but  I  can 
do  nothing  for  you."  Governors  of  states  were4  written  to,  to 
use  their  influence  to  avert  the  wrongs  heaped  upon  the  Saints, 
but  from  one  or  two  only  came  a  favorable  response.  On  the 
failure  of  the  states  and  nation  to  protect  their  own  citizens 
against  mob  violence  and  plunder,  ttie  Lord  promised  to  vex 
the  nation  with  a  soref  vexation.  This  was  done  in  the  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  lives  and  the  millions  in  treasure  lost  in 
the  Civil  War.  The  outbreak  of  this  war  was  revealed  by  the 
Lord  to  Joseph  twenty-eight  years  before  it  came  to  pass,  and 
published  to  the  world  as  early  as  1851. 

The  Church  was  not  founded  by  men,  nor  did  it  depend 
upon  any  particular  man  or  set  of  men  for  strength,  growth  or 
progress.  God  has  founded  and  protected  and  is  perpetuating 
His  Church  on  the  earth,  so  that  when  the  Prophet  passed  to 
the  life  beyond,  the  work  continued  and  grew  with  great  rapid- 
ity. It  is  said,  and  truly,  that  "the  blood  of  the  martyr  is  the 
seed  of  the  Church." 

President  Brigham  Young  and  his  associates  of  the  Twelve, 
according  to  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  and  the  order  of  the  Holy 
Priesthood,  succeeded  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Church.  The 
work  of  the  Lord  continued  to  prosper,  contrary  to  the  predic- 
tion of  its  enemies  that  when  the  Prophet  Joseph  was  out  of 
the  way  the  work  would  come  to  naught.  The  foundation  of  a 
temple  had  been  laid  which  was  pushed  to  completion,  dedi- 
cated to  the  Lord,  and  ordinances  performed  therein.  Mobo- 
cratic  hostilities  were  renewed,  however,  with  determined  vigor. 


364  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

Nauvoo  was  besieged.  The  temple  was  burned  and  Elder  Wil- 
liam Anderson  and  his  son  killed.  The  Saints  were  expelled  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet.  They  had  a  flourishing  city  in  an  in- 
credibly short  time.  They  were  quiet,  peaceable,  law-abiding, 
industrious  citizens.  The  killing  of  their  leading  men,  the  burn- 
ing of  their  homes,  the  numerous  indignities  heaped  upon  them, 
were  as  dastardly  and  cold-blooded  as  any  persecution  chron- 
icled in  the  annals  of  history,  especially  when  we  consider  that 
it  occurred  in  a  free  country,  where  liberty  for  every  race  and 
religion  is  the  proud  boast  of  its  people.  Many  of  the  people 
left  Nauvoo  in  the  dead  of  winter,  1845-6,  crossing  the  Missis- 
sippi river  on  the  ice.  The  day  aftefr  the  general  exodus,  nine 
children  were  born  in  the  camp  of  the  exiled  people.  Under 
the  leadership  of  President  Young  and  his  associates,  the  Saints 
move'd  westward  across  the  state  of  Iowa  and  built  up  a  settle- 
ment called  Winter  Quarters,  where  the  people  remained  to  re- 
cruit until  1847.  While  there  the  government  called  on  the 
Saints  for  five  hundred  men  to  engage  in  the  war  with  Mexico. 
These  were  promptly  supplied,  and  the  most  able-bodied  men 
were  sent  to  defend  their  country. 

In  the  spring  of  1847,  President  Young  and  a  small  company 
numbering  143,  including  three1  women,  started  from  the  Mis- 
souri river  to  find  beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains  a  place  of  rest, 
where  they  might  build  and  inhabit  homes  and  worship  God 
"free  from  the  furious  rage  of  mobs."  After  an  interesting  and 
trying  journey  of  about  three  months  this  noble"  band  of  pioneers 
entered  Salt  Lake  valley  July  24th,  1847,  over  a  thousand  miles 
from  the  Mississippi  river.  As  they  emerged  from  the  mouth 
of  what  was  afterwards  named  Emigration  Canyon,  they  stood 
upon  a  plateau  facing  westward.  To  the  north  and  south  a 
great  valley  extended,  bordered  on  the  west  by  mountains  and  a 
great  inland  sea  of  salt  water,  the  Great  Salt  Lake.  The 
islands  in  the  lake  are  mountains  almost  destitute"  of  timber, 
but  supplied  with  grass  suitable  for  the  grazing  of  horses  and 
cattle.  The  valley  was  poorly  watered,  and  dry  and  sterile  was 
the  apearance  of  the  country  before  the'm.  But  God  was  their 
leader.  He  had  shown  to  President  Young  beforehand  the  Salt 
Lake  Valley.  When  the  pioneer  band  ente'red  the  valley  the 
Prophet  said,  "This  is  the  place.  Here  we  will  build  a  city." 
When  they  came  upon  the  ground  where  the  temple"  now  stands, 


THE   CHURCH.  365 

President  Young,  thrusting  his  cane  into  the  ground,  said  in 
substance,  "Here  we  will  stay,  and  upon  this  ground  we  will 
build  a  temple." 

All  the  events  conducing  to  the  growth  and  development  of 
the  valleys  prove  that  President  Brigham  Young  knew  whereof 
he  spoke,  and  God  has  confirmed  his  words  by  the  many  bless- 
ings of  divine  Providence  showered  upon  the  people  in  building 
up  a  commonwealth  in  what  was  in  those  days  a  great  barren 
waste.  The  soil  upon  which  the  Saints  then  stood  belonged  to 
Mexico.  Those  pioneers  were1  as  truly  exiles  from  their  country 
as  were  the  Puritans  who  sailed  the  trackless  ocean  and  planted 
their  feet  upon  Plymouth  Rock.  And  yet  the  Latter-day  Saints 
then  had  five  hundred  men  in  the  American  army,  in  the  con- 
test with  Mexico.  Upon  a  prominent  mountain  peak,  called 
Ensign,  the  "Mormon"  pioneers  planted  the  Stars  and  Stripes, 
the  flag  of  their  country,  and  possessed  the  land  as  citizens  of 
the  United  State's.  Upon  the  arrival  of  this  first  company  the 
work  of  plowing  and  building  immediately  commenced.  It 
would  take  volumes  to  tell  the  history  of  the  growth  and  pro- 
gress of  the  Saints  from  that  time  till  now ;  but  this  wondrous 
recital  is  written  upon  the  mountains  and  in  the  valleys,  which 
are  open  to  the  inspection  of  all  people. 

In  the  fall  of  1847  a  large  company  of  Saints  crossed  the 
plains,  led  by  President  John  Taylor  and  other  prominent  men. 
The  companies  continued  to  pour  into  Salt  Lake"  valley  and 
spread  into  the  valleys  north  and  south  each  year  from  1847 
to  1000,  coming  as  Latter-day  Saints,  under  the  regulations  of 
the  Church.  The  leading  brethren  had  made  covenant  that  they 
would  not  cease1  their  energies  until  all  the  Saints  who  would 
remain  faithful  should  be  gathered  to  the  place  appointed. 

Before  the  death  of  Prophet  Joseph  many  had  apostatized. 
The  Saints  were  not  so  well  established  in  doctrine"  as  they  are 
today,  and  some  were  led  astray  by  the  pretensions  of  promi- 
nent men  who  were  disposed  to  leave  the  Church  and  follow 
their  own  course.  The  Twelve  Apostles  stood  next  in  authority 
to  the  Presidency  of  the  Church  by  the  order  pointed  out  in  the 
revelations  of  God  and  at  the  time  when  Sidney  Rigdon  was 
asserting  his  claims  to  the  guardianship  of  the  Church,  Presi- 
dent Young  stood  up  to  address  the  Saints.  A  remarkable  man- 
ifestation of  God's  power  took  place.  President  Young  was 


366  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

transfigured  before  the  people.  He  appeared  to  increase  in 
height  and  in  form  of  his  face  and  body  to  the1  exact  personal 
appearance  of  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  When  he  spoke  his 
voice  was  as  that  of  the  martyred  Prophet.  People  who  were 
present  on  that  occasion  say  that  if  their  eyes  had  been  closed 
when  he  arose  from  his  seat  they  would  have  believed  the 
speaker  to  be  none  other  than  the  Martyr.  Truly  the  mantle  of 
Joseph  had  fallen  upon  Brigham,  and  while  Joseph  had  received 
all  the  keys  of  the  priesthood,  he  had  bestowed  them  upon  the 
Twelve,  also  the  revelations  upon  which  to  build  the  Church  of 
Christ.  President  Young  truly  built  upon  these  revelations 
during  his  entire  administration.  In  1849,  at  Winter  Quarters, 
he  was  sustained  as  President  of  the  Church  by  the  unanimous 
voice  of  the  priesthood,  Heber  C.  Kimball  and  Williard  Rich- 
ards then  being  chosen  Counselors  and  so  endorsed  by  the  voice 
of  the  Church  thereafter  at  general  conferences  during  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lifetimes.  President  Young  presided  over  the 
Church  as  the  senior  Apostle  for  thirty-three  years,  five  years 
in  connection  with  the  Twelve  and  twenty-eight  years  in  the 
Presidency. 

Soon  after  the  settlement  of  the  Saints  in  Salt  Lake1  valley, 
other  valleys  were  explored  north  and  south,  and  settlements 
established  wherever  water  could  be  obtained,  as  rapidly  as  the 
strength  and  numbers  of  the  Saints  would  justify.  As  early 
as  1860  settlements  were  founded  and  the  Saints  organized  in 
Wards  and  quorums  of  the  priesthood,  from  Cache  valley  to  St. 
George,  a  distance  of  over  400  miles  from  north  to  south. 
Wherever  the  Saints  locate  in  settlements  of  a  few  families,  or 
more,  they  are  organized  with  a  Bishop  and  counselors  to  pre- 
side over  them,  with  Priests,  Teachers  and  Deacons,  as  before 
explained,  for  a  local  ministry.  As  helps  in  government  they  had 
in  those  early  d'ays  the  Relief  Society  to  relieve  the  poor  and 
afflicted.  The  society  is  composed  of  women,  and  was  first 
organized  March  17,  1842,  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  in 
Nauvoo.  In  1849  the  first"  Sunday  school  was  established  in  the 
Church  by  Richard  Ballantyne,  in  the  Fourteenth  Ward,  Salt 
Lake  City.  Later,  and  during  the  administration  of  President 
Young,  the  Young  Men  and  Young  Ladies'  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Associations  were  inaugurated.  Still  later,  by  suggestion 
of  Sister  Aurelia  Spencer  Rogers,  under  the  administration  of 


THE   CHURCH.  367 

President  John  Taylor,  the*  Primary  Associations,  presided  over 
and  conducted  by  capable  sisters,  were  established  for  the  es- 
pecial benefit  of  little  children.  All  these  are  helpful  regula- 
tions to  meet  the  growing  requirements  of  the  Saints  in  mat- 
ters of  religious,  moral  and  intellectual  training  and  develop- 
ment. One  of  these  organizations  exists  in  every  Bishop's  Ward, 
unless  the  number  of  any  class  who  properly  belong  to  one  of 
the  associations  named  is  too  limited  to  make  the  organization 
profitable.  In  such  cases  those  who  would  take  part  in  such 
associations  are  not  unprovided  for  because  the  Sunday  school, 
more  than  any  other  association  in  the  Church,  takes  in  all 
ages  of  both  sexes.  Our  Sunday  schools  now  have  a  member- 
ship of  nearly  125,000. 

Where  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  Wards,  in  any  section 
of  the  country,  these  Wards  are  presided  over  by  a  President 
and  two  counselors,  with  a  High  Council,  who  have  certain 
jurisdiction  over  matters  pertaining  to  the  Church  in  this  group 
of  Wards.  The  associations,  Sunday  schools,  societies,  etc., 
have  a  general  superintendency  of  three,  with  assistants.  This 
organization,  composed  of  the  Wards,  is  called  a  Stake  of  Zion. 
For  convenience  sake,  the"  geographical  boundaries  of  the  Stake 
are  usually  the  same"  as  those  of  the  county,  but  not  always,  or 
necessarily  so.  Sometimes  the  population  of  two  or  three 
counties  is  not  too  great  to  be  one  Stake",  where  the  settle- 
ments are  close  together,  or  not  separated  by  mountains,  which 
would  render  the  attendance  of  the  people  at  Stake  confer- 
ences, especially  in  the  winter  season,  very  laborious,  and  in 
seme  instances  almost  impossible.  We"  have  now  fifty  Stakes 
of  Zion.  They  extend  from  Canada  to  Mexico.  They  exist 
in  Utah,  Idaho,  Arizona,  Wyoming,  Colorado,  Canada  and 
Mexico.  Many  of  them  were  organized  just  prior  to  the 
decease  of  President  Young,  the*  remainder  under  his  suc- 
cessors, respectively :  Presidents  Taylor,  Woodruff,  Snow  aiiJ 
Smith. 

April  Gth,  1853,  the  Temple  in  Salt  Lake  City  was  com- 
menced It  is  constructed  of  granite.  The  rock  was  hauled, 
the"  first  fifteen  years,  with  ox  teams,  a  distance  of  sixteen 
miles,  two  yoke  of  oxen  frequently  being  required  to  draw 
one  huge  stone.  But  many  years  before  the  completion  of 
the  Temple,  the  locomotive1,  with  many  car  loads  of  stone  at  a 


368  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

time,  rolled  into  the  Temple  block  and  left  its  cargo  by 
the  side  of  the  growing  edifice.  The  capstone  of  this  magnifi- 
cent house  of  the  Lord  was  laid  by  electricity.  The  current 
was  applied  by  the  finger  of  God's  Prophet,  Wilford  Woodruff, 
then  eighty-four  years  of  age,  and  one  of  that  noble  band  of 
one  hundred  forty-three  who  entered  Salt  Lake  valley  July 
24th,  1847.  President  Young  was  instrumental  in  laying  the 
foundation  of  four  temples  in  Utah,  at  Salt  Lake,  St.  George. 
Logan  and  Manti.  All  have  been,  years  ago,  completed;  the 
Salt  Lake  Temple  being  dedicated  April  6th,  1893,  by  President 
Wilford  Woodruff.  The  ordinances  of  salvation  for  the  liv- 
ing and  the  dead  are  performed  in  the  temples,  and  tens  of 
thousands  have  been  officiated  for  since  their  completion. 

Subsequent  to  the  exodus  of  the  Church  from  Nauvoo  to  Salt 
Lake  valley,  the  Gospel  was  introduced  to  the  Pacific  Isles  by 
President  George  Q.  Cannon  and  other  Elders  in  1853.  In 
the  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  many  countries  have"  not  yet 
accorded  perfect  religious  fre'edom,  and  to  penetrate  these  the 
Church  awaits  only  the  provinces  of  the  Almighty  to  break 
down  the  barriers  and  make  it  feasible  to  promulgate  the 
Gospel  in  those  countries.  In  other  lands,  where  fre'edom 
reigns,  the  Elders  have  carried  the  glorious  message.  The 
Book  of  Mormon  has  been  translated  into  German,  Danish, 
Swedish,  French,  Spanish,  Italian,  Hawaiian,  Maori  and  other 
tongues,  and  will  continue  to  be  given  to  the  world  until  the 
truths  of  the  Gospel  upon  its  sacred  pages  shall  be  read  by 
every  nation,  kindred,  tongue  and  people.  The  thousands 
who  have  embraced  the  work  with  honest  motives  have  received 
the  witness  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  their  own  satisfaction.  Gifts 
and  blessings  which  the  ancient  saints  enjoyed  have  been  re- 
newed in  this  glorious  dispensation. 

The  external  history  of  the  Church  has  been  the  same  as  in 
other  times.  "If  ye  were  of  the  world,  the  world  would  love 
its  own ;  but  because  ye  are  not  of  the  world,  therefore  the 
world  hateth  you."  "And  they  that  live  godly  in  Christ 
Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution."  Prophecy  has  been  and  is 
being  fulfilled.  "What  is  prophecy  but  history  reversed?" 

History  repeats  itself.  When  Joseph  Smith  promulgated  a 
new  revelation,  religious  and  irreligious  fought  against  such 
an  idea.  Professional  religionists  seek  to  prove  by  the  Scrip- 


THE   CHURCH.  369 

tures  that  revelations  are  not  for  our  day.  In  this  they 
fail,  because  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  abound  in  predic- 
tions of  future  revelations  and  events  which  cannot  be  filled 
without  revelation.  The  wicked  have  resorted  to  slander,  ridi- 
cule and  falsehood,  then  to  violence,  resulting  in  the  destruction 
of  property  and  human  life.  All  this  being  futile,  they  movefd 
the  nation  by  the  falsehoods  of  Judge  Druinmond  to  send  an 
army  to  Utah.  But  when  the  army  came  they  found  that 
this  United  States  officer  had  basely  deceived  the1  president  of 
the  nation,  by  telling  that  the  'Mormons  wore  in  a  state  of  re- 
bellion and  had  burned  the  court  records,  these  being  found 
unharmed.  The  Mormons  were  at  peace  with  God  and  all 
mankind,  quietly  minding  their  own  business,  pursuing  their 
vocations  of  life  and  building  up  the  country  for  the  benefit 
and  blessing  of  all  who  should  come  within  their  gate's.  The 
army  came  to  Utah  in  1857,  and  subsequently  returned  East, 
going  chiefly  to  the  South,  their  leading  officer,  Gen.  Albert 
Sidney  Johnston,  taking  part  with  the  Confederate  army  in 
the  great  rebellion.  He  fell  upon  the"  battlefild  of  Shiloh, 
April  6th,  1862,  thirty-two  years  to  the  day  after  the  Church 
was  born  in  this  dispensation.  The  army  sold  to  the  Mor- 
mons mules,  wagons,  harness  and  other  materials  much  needed, 
at  a  mere  nominal  figure,  and  thus  being  a  blessing,  proved 
the  words  of  Isaiah  true,  "I  will  make  the  wrath  of  man  to 
praise  me." 

As  the  Saints  grew  in  prosperity  and  importance,  avarice 
and  prejudice  seized  political  demagogues,  adventurers  and 
religious  bigots,  to  stir  the  nation  to  a  systematic  effort  to 
crush  out  "Mormonism."  Special  legislation  was  enacted 
and  enforced  beyond  the  severity  of  its  own  provisions.  About 
eight  hundred  men  went  to  prison ;  a  few  women  were  incar- 
cerated because  they  would  not  testify  against  their  husbands; 
heavy  fines  were  paid  and  hundreds  went  into  exile  rather  than 
prove  untrue  to  the  solemn  covenants  and  obligations  the'y 
had  entered  into  under  their  religious  convictions.  Finally 
confiscation  oi!  Church  property  took  place,  but  most  of  it  was 
afterwards  restored.  In  1890  President  Woodruff  issued  his 
manifesto  regarding  plural  marriage1,  feeling  that  the  courts 
of  the  country  had  abused  justice  in  denying  the  Saints 

24 


370  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

the  liberty  of  religious  worship  granted  by  the  American 
Constitution. 

In  this  form  of  opposition  to  the  Church,  a  prophecy  of 
Joseph  Smith  is  fulfilled,  in  which  he  said,  in  substance,  that 
persecution  against  the!  Saints  would  extend  from  township 
to  county;  from  county  to  state,  and  from  state  to  nation. 
His  words  have  been  literally  fulfilled.  The  Saints,  in  en- 
during persecution,  did  so  with  patience  and  forbearance. 
They  have  no  spirit  of  revenge".  They  understand  that  much 
of  the  popular  sentiment  against  them  is  based  upon  mis- 
understanding, founded  in  the  falsehood  of  wicked  and  de- 
signing men.  The  spirit  of  the  Gospel  teaches  them  that 
it  is  better  to  suffer  wrong  than  to  do  wrong,  and  that 
patience  and  charity  are  as  necessary  as  a  testimony  of  the 
truth ;  for  without  the  approval  of  the  Lord  they  could  not 
endure  the"  trials  and  temptations  which  beset  them. 

From  the  commencement  the  Church  had  taught  the  utmost 
freedom  of  mankind  to  worship  as  they  chose,  such  liberty 
being  curtailed  only  when  it  runs  into  license  and  infringes 
upon  the  rights  of  others.  In  the1  early  inception  of  the 
Church,  God  commanded  His  people  to  study  and  learn  from 
the  best  of  books,  to  acquire  an  understanding  of  the  laws  of 
God  and  the  governments  of  men,  to  become  acquainted  with 
the  heavens  and  the"  earth.  Thus  the  Saints  are  the  friends 
of  all  true  education.  Joseph  Smith  established  a  school  in 
Kirtland  for  the1  study  of  Hebrew  and  other  branches  of  knowl- 
edge. For  Nauvoo  he  obtained  a  charter  for  a  university. 
Brigham  Young  and  his  associates  founded  the  Deseret  Uni- 
versity, now  called  the  University  of  Utah.  They  have  also 
established  church  schools,  the  Brigham  Young  Academy  in 
Provo,  the  Brigham  Young  College  in  Logan,  Stake  academies 
and  other  schools.  The  sons  of  Latter-day  Saints  have  grad- 
uated with  honor  in  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point. 
In  Ann  Arbor,  'Michigan,  they  have  a  record  unsurpassed  in 
the  law  school  and  in  other  branches  taught  by  that  noted 
institution.  The  same  is  true  of  their  record  at  Harvard  and 
elsewhere ;  also  are  there  numerous  graduate's  of  medicine, 
dentistry,  civil  engineering,  etc.,  as  taught  in  the  great  schools 
of  Chicago,  Philadelphia  and  other  places.  Mission  conferences 
are"  established  in  almost  every  state  of  the  American  Union, 


THE  CHURCH.  371 

also  in  England,  Ireland,  Wales,  Scotland,  Denmark,  Sweden 
and  Norway,  Germany,  Holland,  Palestine,  New  Zealand,  Aus- 
tralia, the  Hawaiian  and  many  other  islands  of  the  Pacific 
ocean,  including  Japan. 

The  present  living  membership  of  the  Church,  men,  women 
and  children,  is  not  less  than  310,000  souls.  While  there  has 
been  steady  progress  in  numerical  strength,  it  is  not  in  numbers 
altogether  that  strength  consists.  We  fully  realize  that 
"Straight  is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto 
life,  and  few  there  be1  that  find  it."  The  greatest  strength 
consists  in  the  purity  of  the  principle  and  the  impossibility 
of  the  wicked  and  corrupt  to  remain  long  in  the  Church.  God 
is  its  founder  and  builder.  He  established  the  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  It  will  stand  always,  for 
"whatsoever  the"  Lord  doeth,  He  doeth  it  forever." 


CHURCH  ORGANIZATION. 

We  have  treated  briefly  upon  the  subject  of  Divine  Author- 
ity, merely  pointing  out  the  absolute  necessity  of  such  authori- 
ty in  order  to  obtain  complete  salvation,  and  how  it  was  be- 
stowed and  perpetuated  whenever  a  Gospel  dispensation  existed 
upon  the  earth.  It  will  not  be  amiss  to  deal  briefly  with 
the  subject  of  Church  Organization,  as  this  specifies  the  dis- 
tribution of  divine  authority  to  the  various  offices  in  the  Church 
of  Christ,  each  having  specific  duties  to  perform. 

In  the'  beginning  we  wish  it  distinctly  understood  that  we 
accept  of  the  New  Testament  as  the  rcord  of  this  organization, 
and  that  nowhere  within  that  sacred  record  is  even  an  inti- 
mation that,  by  divine  appointment,  the  offices  established  in 
the  Church  of  Christ  by  the  Savior  of  mankind  would  be 
done"  away.  On  the  other  hand,  neither  do  we  claim  that  the 
New  Testament  contains  a  full  and  explicit  statement  of 
every  office  in  the  Church,  with  the  several  duties  of  each 
officer  and  the  relationship  which  each  council  or  order  of 
authority  bears  to  every  other  council.  The  New  Testament 
is  fragmentary  and  has  been  translated  and  re-translated  many 
times  since  it  was  first  written  by  inspired  apostles  and  prophets  ; 
those  translations  were  by  men  not  claiming  the  inspiration 
which  characterized  the  men  of  God  who  wrote"  it. 

In  this  connection  we  must  not  forget  the  statement  of 
Holy  Writ:  ''The  things  of  God  knoweth  no  man  but  the 
Spirit  of  God.  *  *  *  But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto 
him;  neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually 
discerned."  (I.  Cor.  ii  :11,  14.)  Therefore,  where  the  inspired 
record  is  not  sufficiently  full  in  elucidating  any  principle, 
nothing  short  of  new  revelation  from  God  will  clear  away  the 
mist  and  bring  us  to  a  knowledge  of  the  truth.  The*  writings 
of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  Peter,  James  and  Jude,  so 
far  as  they  bear  upon  the  sayings  and  acts  of  the  Savior 
during  His  earthly  ministry,  are  the  testimonies  of  what  they 


CHURCH  ORGANIZATION.  373 

saw  and  heard  personally,  as  well  as  the  revelations  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  them,  subsequent  to  the  crucifixion  and  ascension 
of  the  Savior.  Paul  embraced  the  Gospel  later,  and  was  not 
personally  associated  with  Jesus  in  His  ministry.  His  testi- 
mony is  equally  binding,  however,  as  he  "wrote*  and  spoke  as  he 
was  moved  upon  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  "In  the  mouth  of  two 
or  three  witnesses  every  word  may  be  established."  (Matt, 
xviii:  16.) 

In  Matthew,  chapter  10,  commencing  with  the  first  verse", 
we  have  this  statement :  "And  when  He  had  called  unto  Him 
His  Twelve  disciples,  He  gave  them  power  against  unclean 
spirits  to  cast  them  out  and  he"al  all  manner  of  sickness  and 
all  manner  of  disease.  Now  the  names  of  the  Twelve  apostles 
are  these;"  then  follows  the  name  of  each  of  the  Twelve.  Mark 
gives  more!  detail  as  to  when  and  where  they  were  called,  as 
follows :  "And  He  goeth  up  into  a  mountain  and  called  unto 
Him  whom  He  would;  and  they  came  unto  Him.  And  He 
ordained  twelve,"  etc.  (Mark  iii:  13,  14.)  Luke  records  the 
calling  of  the  Twelve  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  his  book,  be- 
ginning with  the1  twelfth  verse :  "And  it  came  to  pass  in  those 
days  that  He  went  out  into  a  mountain  to  pray,  and  continued 
all  night  in  prayer  to  God.  And  when  it  was  day  He  called 
unto  Him  His  disciples:  and  of  them  He  chose  twelve,  whom 
also  He  named  apostles."  Paul  says  in  I.  Cor.  xii  :28 :  "And 
God  hath  set  some  in  the  church,  first  apostles ;"  and  again  in 
Ephesians,  chapter  4,  verse  11 :  "And  He  gave  some  apostles." 

From  the  statements  of  four  New  Testament  writers,  it  is 
plain  that  the  first  officers  placed  in  the  Church  of  Christ 
were  apostles.  Jesus  delegated  unto  Peter  the1  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  that  whatsoever  he  should  bind  on  earth 
should  be  bound  in  heaven,  as  recorded  in  the  sixteenth  chap- 
ter of  Matthew,  thus  delegating  to  the  apostleship  all  authority 
essential  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  administering  in 
all  the  ordinances  thereof,  at  home  and  abroad,  for  the  salvation 
of  all  who  would  render  obedience.  It  is  apparent  that  other 
men  such  as  Paul  and  Barnabas  received  the  apostleship,  but 
while  this  was  the  case  it  is  evident  that  the  Twelve  apostles 
constituted  a  quorum.  When  Judas  fell,  one  was  chosen  to 
take  his  place  in  that  quorum,  as  written  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  first  chapter,  23-26  verses.  It  would  appear  from 


374  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

the  reading  of  the  Scriptures  that  while  these  twelve  still  lived, 
Paul  and  probably  others  received  the  holy  apostleship,  but  did 
not  become  members  of  that  council. 

The  work  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  all  the  world,  to  every 
creature,  was  undoubtedly  too  extensive  for  the  accomplishment 
personally  of  twelve  men,  so  Jesus  chose  others  to  assist  them. 
"After  these  things  the  Lord  appointed  other  seventy  also, 
and  sent  them  two  and  two  before  His  face  into  every  city 
and  place,  whither  He  Himself  would  come."  (Lukex:!.)  As 
He  conferred  upon  them  similar  powers  and  gave  them  a 
similar  calling  to  preach  the  Gospel,  they  were  undoubtedly 
the  next  associates  of  the  Twelve  in  preaching  the  Gospel  to 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  Some  think  by  the  language 
used  by  Luke,  "other  seventy,"  that  He  had  chosen  one  quorum 
of  seventies  before  this  one,  but  this  is  not  necessarily  correct,  as 
it  will  apply  in  meaning  to  "other"  than  the  Twelve  apostles. 

In  Hebrews,  fifth  chapter  and  first  verse,  Paul  says4 :  "For 
every  high  priest  taken  from  among  men  is  ordained  for 
men  in  things  pertaining  to  God."  While  it  is  true  that  the 
words  "high  priest"  are  used  in  a  more  general  sense  in  some 
instances,  such  as  in  Hebrews,  third  chapter,  first  verse,  whertJ 
the  'Savior  is  called  both  the  "Apostle  and  High  Priest  of  our 
profession,"  it  appears  evident  from  the  above  quotation  and 
other  passages  that  there"  was  in  the  order  of  ecclesiastical 
government  in  the  Church  of  Christ  a  distinct  officer  with 
specific  duties  called  a  High  Priest. 

Again,  in  Acts,  fourteenth  chapter  and  twenty-third  veise, 
we  read :  "And  when  they  had  ordained  them  elders  in  every 
church,  and  had  prayed  with  fasting,  they  commended  them 
to  the  Lord,  on  whom  they  believed."  "And  when  they  were 
come  to  Jerusalem,  they  were  received  of  the  church,  and  of  the 
apostles  and  elders.  *  *  *  And  the  apostles  and  elders 
came  together."  (Acts  xv:4-6.)  "And  as  they  went  through 
the  cities,  they  delivered  them  the  decrees  for  to  keep,  that 
were  ordained  of  the  apostles  and  elders  which  were  at  Je- 
rusalem." (Acts  xvi:4.)  "And  from  Miletus  He  sent  to 
Ephesus,  and  called  the  elders  of  the  church."  (Acts  xx:17.) 
"And  ordained  elders  in  every  city  as  I  had  appointed  thee," 
(Titus  i:5.) 

The  term  "elders"  is  used  in  many  other  passages  of  Scrip- 


CHURCH   ORGANIZATION.  375 

ture.  In  some  instances  the  apostle  is  called  <an  elder,  as 
Paul  and  John  allude  to  themselves  personally  as  elders.  In 
some  places  the  term  is  used  in  reference  to  the"  aged,  as  in 
I.  Timothy,  chapter  v.,  verses  1,  2 :  "Rebuke  not  an  elder,  but 
entreat  him  as  a  father,  and  the  younger  men  as  brethren, 
the  elder  women  as  mothers,  the  younger  as  sisters,  with 
all  purity."  Yet  the  quotations  made  will  be  ample  to  prove 
that  the  office  of  Elder  was  an  order  anciently  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

In  I.  Timothy,  third  chapter,  verses  1,  2,  we  learn  of  the 
office  of  Bishop,  with  some  essential  qualifications.  "This  is  a 
true  saying :  If  a  man  desire  the  office  of  a  bishop,  he  de- 
sireth  a  good  work.  A  bishop  thefn  must  be  blameless,  the 
husband  of  one  wife,  vigilant,  sober,  of  good  behavior,  given 
to  hospitality,  apt  to  teach."  Also,  in  Titus  i:  7:  "For  a 
bishop  must  be  blameless,  as  the  steward  of  God,  not  self- 
willed,  not  soon  angry,  not  given  to  wine,  no  striker,  not 
given  to  filthy  lucre ;  but  a  lover  of  hospitality,  a  lover  of  good 
men,  sober,  just,  holy,  temperate."  These  passages  show 
clearly  the  office  of  Bishop  to  be  a  department  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  should  be  held  by  a  married 
man. 

"There  was  in  the  days  of  Herod,  the  king  of  Judea,  a  certain 
priest  named  Zacharias,  of  the  course  of  Abia."  (Luke  i:  5.) 
The  order  of  the  Priest  as  established  in  ancient  Israel  seems 
to  have  continued  in  the  New  Testament  dispensation.  Although 
the  offering  of  sacrifice  was  consummated  at  least  for  that 
period,  in  the  atonement  of  our  Savior,  it  is  apparent  that 
John  the  Baptist,  Philip,  and  others,  were  priests  after  the 
order  of  Levi,  having  authority  to  baptize  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  to  preach  faith  and  repentance,  but  not  to  officiate 
in  the  higher  ordinances  of  the  Gospel  which  secure-!  the 
baptism  of  fire  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  nor  to  preside  over  the 
Church  of  Christ  and  regulate  the  affairs  thereof  throughout 
the1  world. 

In  Acts  xiii  :1 ;  I.  Cor.  xii.28,  and  Eph.  iv  :11,  we  learn  of  an 
officer  called  Teacher,  though  nothing  as  to  the  especial  func- 
tions of  that  office. 

Paul  to  Timothy,  in  the  third  chapter  of  his  letter,  refers  to 
the  Deacons,  and  enumerates  some  of  the  qualifications  essen- 


376  COWLEY'S  TALKSON  DOCTRINE. 

tial  to  the  possession  of  men  who  bear  that  sacred  calling  in 
the  Church  of  Christ. 

In  the  First  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  twelfth  chapter, 
verse  28,  the  apostle  declares:  "And  G-od  hath  set  some 
in  the  church,  first  apostles,  secondarily  prophets,  thirdly 
teachers,  after  that  miracles,  then  gifts  of  healings,  helps, 
governments,  diversities  of  tongues."  "And  He  gave  some 
apostles ;  and  some  prophets ;  and  some  evangelists  (patri- 
archs) ;  and  some  pastors  and  teachers."  (Eph.  iv  :11.)  "Now 
there  were  in  the  church  *  *  *  certain  prophets  and  teach- 
ers." (Acts  xiii:  1.) 

Peter  and  Paul,  in  their  writings,  make  reference  to  the 
ancient  patriarchs,  and  although  no  definite  statement  is  made, 
as  to  soich  an  office  existing  in  their  time,  it  is  more!  than 
probable  that  it  existed  in  the  Church  of  Christ  whenever 
that  Church  had  an  existence  on  the  earth. 

The  quotations  give  us  the  names  of,  at  least,  the  following 
offices  as  departments  of  the  Holy  Priesthood  and  essentials 
to  the  work  of  the  Lord:  Apostles,  Patriarchs,  High  Priests, 
Seventies,  Elders,  Bishops,  Priests,  Teachers  and  Deacons.  The 
words  pastors,  shepherds,  evangelists,  etc.,  are  also  used  in 
reference  to  officials  in  the  Church,  but  it  is  probable  that 
some  terms  were*  used  not  so  much  to  name  the  exact  title 
of  a  man's  position  or  calling  in  the  order  of  the  priesthood 
as  to  indicate  the  nature  of  the  work  his  calling  enjoined  upon 
him.  For  instance,  a  pastor  is  one  who  has  charge  of  a 
flock,  a  shepherd;  applied  religiously,  one  who  has  the"  over- 
sight of  a  Branch  of  the  Church  (president  of  conference,  for 
example . ;  and  this  term  would  apply  to  Elders  and  Bishops, 
who,  according  to  the  New  Testament,  had  watched  ovefr 
branches  of  the  Church  in  different  parts  of  the  earth. 

We  wish  to  again  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  exact 
and  full  duty  in  detail  of  each  officer  is  not  wholly  explained 
in  the  Jewish  Scriptures.  The  precise  order  in  which  all 
of  these  officers  were  placed  is  not  clear.  The  difference 
between  the  general  duties  common  to  all  and  the  particular 
labors  enjoined  upon  one  officer,  which  distinguished  him  from 
every  other  officer  in  the  church,  is  not  told.  This  is  not  sur- 
prising, either,  as  undoubtedly  each  man  in  his  order  understood 
his  duties  from  the  instructions  of  the  living  oracles  of  God. 


CHURCH   ORGANIZATION.  377 

Furthermore,  they  bad  writings,  which  are  referred  to  in  the 
Testament,  but  which  are  not  preserved  and  handed  down  to 
us ;  and  it  is  probable  they  had  still  other  writings  that  are 
neither  compiled  nor  alluded  to  in  the  Scriptures. 

The"  New  Testament  contains  letters  of  instructions,  exhorta- 
tions, warnings  and  testimonies  of  the  apostles  to  the  Church 
and  to  the  world,  and  does  not  claim  to  be  a  complete  exposi- 
tion of  Church  Organization,  etc.  The  Church  was  guided  by 
direct  revelation,  and  was  to  be  so  guided  in  all  time;  and 
the  fact  that  man,  with  all  his  learning  and  the  benefits  of 
researches  made  by  preceding  generations,  cannot  organize  a 
church  after  the  ancient  pattern,  is  indisputable  proof  that  we 
need  more  revelation  from  God.  The1  world  by  wisdom  knew 
n'ot  God.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  as  long  as  we  need  divine 
instructions,  which  will  be  the  case"  forever,  we  need  the  God- 
given  officeTs  which  Christ  placed  in  His  Church,  and  which  He 
designed  to  continue  as  long  as  the  Church  should  exist. 

Here  is  the  testimony  of  Paul  to  the  Ephesians,  chapter  4: 
"And  He  gave  some  apostle's ;  and  some  prophets ;  and  some 
evangelists;  and  some  pastors  and  teachers;  for  the  perfecting 
of  the  saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the  edifying 
of  the  body  of  Christ:  Till  we  all  come  in  the  unity  of  the 
faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect 
man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fullness  of 
Christ:  That  we  henceforth  be  no  more  children,  tossed  to  and 
fro,  and  carried  about  with  every  wind  of  doctrine,  by  the 
sleight  of  men,  and  cunning  craftiness,  whereby  they  lie  in 
wait  to  deceive."  In  this  connection  it  is  perhaps  sufficient 
to  remark  that  the  history  of  the  world  is  ample  proof  that 
apostles,  prophets  and  inspiration  are  always  needed.  The 
reader  is  asked  to  carefully  study  the  chapter  on  the  "Church," 
given  in  this  work,  as  it  points  out  the  duties  of  officers  in  the 
Church  Organization,  as  given  us  by  modern  revelation. 


DIVINE  AUTHORITY. 

A  very  remarkable  feature  in  the  religious  sentiment  of 
rnode'rn  "Cfiristianity"  is  the  indifference  which  prevails  as  to 
the  question  of  legitimate  authority  to  speak  and  officiate  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord.  Should  an  unauthorized  man  operate  in 
matters  of  human  government,  or  an  impostor  pretend  to  be 
the  agent  of  a  mercantile"  institution  and  deceive  the  people  by 
taking  their  orders  for  goods  and  receiving  their  money,  no  one 
with  sound  reason  would  expect  the  government  or  firm  to 
make  good  the  unauthorized  contracts  of  such  an  impostor ; 
but  the  deceiver  would  be  arrested  and  thrust  into  prison  for 
his  fraudulent  acts.  Why  should  the  consideration  of  sacred 
ordinances  involving  the  salvation  of  mankind  be  treated  with 
less  concern? 

There  seems  to  have  grown  up  in  the  hearts  of  the  people 
a  feeling  that  mere  belief  and  intellectual  assent  to  the  theories 
9f  the  Gospel  is  all-sufficient  to  secure  salvation  in  the  presence 
of  the  Lord.  But  this  is  an  unscriptural  delusion.  "Even  so 
faith,  if  it  hath  not  works,  is  dead,  being  alone."  "Thou  be- 
lie vest  that  there  is  one  God;  thou  doest  well:  the  devils  also 
believe  and  tremble."  "But  wilt  thou  know,  O  vain  man,  that 
faith  without  works  is  dead?"  "For  as  the  body  without  the 
spirit  is  dead,  so  faith  without  works  is  dead  also."  (St  James 
ii:  17,  19,  20  and  26.) 

We  have  shown  from  the  Scriptures  that  baptism  and  con- 
firmation are  essential  ordinances  to  salvation ;  and  to  these 
might  be  added  other  sacred  rites,  instituted  by  the  Savior 
of  the  world  for  the"  redemption  of  man.  He  has  said  that 
"not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven."  (Matt.  vii:21.) 

Can  anyone  reasonably  suppose  that  baptism,  confirmation, 
the  sacrament,  or  any  other  sacred  ceremony  administered  by 
one  not  sent  of  God  will  be  followed  by  the  blessings  which 
attended  the  primitive  saints?  Will  unauthorized  acts  secure1 


DIVINE  AUTHORITY.  379 

the  remission  of  sins,  or  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  are 
manifest  in  visions,  dreams,  healings,  prophecies,  tongues,  etc.? 
Not  by  any  means;  and  the  reason  the"  signs  do  not  follow 
professed  believers  of  the  present  day  is  because  their  ministers 
are  not  called  of  God  according  to  the  pattern  instituted  by 
Him.  The  condemnation  of  the  Lord  will  rest  upon  all  who 
speak  presumptuously  and  who  wilfully  usurp  authority  to 
officiate  in  sacred  things. 

The  Lord  said  in  the  days  of  Jeremiah,  concerning  certain 
men  who  spoke  without  authority:  "I  have  not  sent  these 
prophets,  yet  they  ran ;  I  have  not  spoken  to  them,  yet  they 
prophesied."  (Jer.  xxiii:21.)  The  whole  history  of  the 
dealings  of  God  with  His  people  as  it  is  recorded  in  the  Bible, 
proves  the  constant  necessity  of  living,  divine1  authority. 

Upon  this  branch  of  the  subject  we  cite  the  reader  to 
the  Scriptures.  When  Moses  was  about  to  depart  from  Israel 
he  sought  the  Lord  to  designate  his  successor,  knowing  full  well 
that  without  succession  of  authority  the  work  of  God  could 
not  continue.  He  said,  "Let  the  Lord,  the  God  of  the 
spirits  of  all  flesh,  set  a  man  over  the  congregation,  which  may 
go  out  before  them,  and  which  may  go  in  before*  them,  and 
which  may  lead  them  out,  and  which  may  bring  them  in;  that 
the  congregation  of  the  Lord  be  not  as  sheep  which  have  no 
shepherd."  (Num.  xxvii :  16-17.)  In  Romans  x.,  14  to  17,  we 
have  the  following :  "How  then  shall  they  call  on  Him  in 
whom  they  have  not  believed?  And  how  shall  they  believe  in 
Him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard?  And  how  shall  they 
hear  without  a  preacher?  And  how  shall  they  preach,  except 
they  be  sent?" 

The  Savior,  who  called  Twelve  apostles  and  other  seventy  to 
continue  the  work  which  He,  by  the  direction  of  His  Father, 
had  inaugurated,  was  so  particular  that  they  should  not  "run 
before  they  were  sent"  that  He  said  to  them,  "And  that  repent- 
ance and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in  His  name 
among  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem.  And  behold,  I 
send  the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you:  but  tarry  ye  in  the 
city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from  on  high." 
(Luke  xxiv:47,  49.) 

This  emphatic  injunction  was  given,  notwithstanding  that 
these  apostles  bad  been  already  called  and  ordained  as  recorded 


380  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

in  Mark  iii  :14,  and  notwithstanding  their  great  experience 
by  personal  association  with  the  Savior  of  mankind,  who  was 
pure,  without  guile,  and  perfect  in  all  things,  "who  spake  as 
never  man  spake'."  The  apostles  had  witnessed  the  sick  healed, 
the  blind  see,  the  deaf  hear,  the  dumb  speak,  the  dead  raised. 
Three  of  them,  Peter,  James  and  John,  had  been  with  Christ 
when  He  was  transfigured  on  the  holy  mount.  Mosesi  and 
Elias  had  ministered  unto  them.  These  Twelve  were  the  living 
oracles  of  Almighty  God,  but  for  all  that,  they  must  not  "run 
before  they  were  sent,  nor  speak  before  they  were  spoken  to." 
They  must  enjoy  especial  power.  Are  men  in  modern  times  as 
particular  to  avoid  speaking  in  the  name  of  the"  Lord  before 
they  are  truly  called? 

Let  us  ascertain  how  men  are  called  of  God  and  His  authori- 
ty perpetuated  in  the  earth.  In  speaking  of  the  honor  and  au- 
thority of  the  Holy  Priesthood,  Paul  says,  "And  no  man  taketh 
this  honor  unto  himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of  God,  as  was 
Aaron."  By  reading  the  fourth  and  twenty-eighth  chapters 
of  Exodus,  the  information  as  to  how  Aaron  was  called  can  be 
obtained.  He  was  called  by  a  revelation  through  a  prophet  of 
God.  That  prophet  was  called  by  revelation  and  ordained 
by  one  having  authority  to  ordain  him.  This  method  of  calling 
men  to  the  ministry  was  ever  adhered  to  by  true  Saints,  and 
when  departed  from,  the  departure  has  been  of  men  and  not 
of  God.  Aaron  received  the  anointing  literally  at  the  hands 
of  the  prophet  Moses,  as  recorded  in  Exodus  xl:  15,  16,  and  thus 
conferred  the  Levitical  priesthood  upon  Aaron,  which  was  to 
be  transmitted  by  the  holy  anointing  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration, as  long  as  they  should  observe  the  statutes  of  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel. 

When  Joshua  was  called  to  succeed  Moses  in  leading  Israel 
into  the  promised  land,  it  was  done  by  revelation  from  God 
and  the  laying  on  of  hands  by  one  having  authority.  "And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Moses,  Take  thee  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  a  man 
in  whom  is  the  spirit,  and  lay  thine  hand  upon  him.  *  *  * 
And  he  laid  his  hands  upon  him,  and  gave  him  a  charge,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses."  (Num.  xxvii  :18,  23.) 
"And  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  was  full  of  the  spirit  of  wisdom ; 
for  Moses  had  laid  his  hands  upon  him."  (Deut.  xxxiv:9.) 
During  the  entire  history  of  ancient  Israel,  men  were  called 


DIVINE  AUTHORITY.  381 

by  revelation,  and  when  any  person  presumed  to  officiate 
without  such  a  call,  their  acts  were  invalid  and  were  rejected 
of  the  Almighty. 

The  New  Testament  furnishes  direct  evidence"  of  the  plan 
of  calling  men  to  the  ministry  and  perpetuating  the  authority 
of  God  among  men.  Jesus  said  to  His  apostles,  "Ye  have  not 
chosen  me,  but  I  have  chosen  you,  and  ordained  you."  (St. 
John  xv:16.)  "Now  there  were  in  the  church  that  was  at 
Antioch  certain  prophets  and  teachers;  as  Barnabas,  and 
Simeon  that  was  called  Niger,  and  Lucius  of  Cyrene,  and 
Manaen,  which  had  been  brought  up  with  Herod  the  tetrarch, 
and  Saul.  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord,  and  fasted,  the  Holy 
Ghost  said,  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  where- 
unto  I  have  called  them.  And  when  they  had  fasted  and 
prayed,  and  laid  hands  on  them,  they  sent  them  away."  (Acts 
xiii:  1,  2,  3.)  "And  when  they  had  rdained  them  elders  in 
every  church,  and  had  prayed  with  fasting,  they  commended 
them  to  the  Lord,  on  whom  they  believed."  (Acts  xiv:  23.) 
Men  thus  called  have  authority  to  speak  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  to  officiate  in  His  name ;  and  their  acts  are"  valid,  binding 
in  time  and  eternity. 

When  Paul  found  a  number  of  disciples  at  Ephesus  who  had 
received  baptism,  but  in  answer  to  his  question,  said  that  they 
had  not  "so  much  as  heard  whether  there  be  any  Holy  Ghost," 
he  promptly  baptized  them;  yet  they  had  received  this  ordi- 
nance after  the  form  of  John's  baptism,  that  is,  by  immersion, 
which  veas  correct.  It  was  evident,  however,  that  their  first 
baptizing  was  done  without  authority,  otherwise  the  person 
officiating  would  have  told  them  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  did  John  the  Baptist.  Under  these  circumstances 
Paul  had  to  rebaptize  them,  or  rather  administer  the  true  bap- 
tism, he  having  authority  from  God  to  administer  it,  and  then 
he  conferred  the  Holy  Ghost  upon  them  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands.  This  example  is  a  lesson  as  applicable  to  similar  con- 
ditions of  today  as  it  was  in  the  New  Testament  dispensation. 
All  ceremonies,  ordinances,  rites,  etc.,  administered  without  the 
administrator  being  "called  of  God  as  was  Aaron,"  are  null 
and  void. 

The  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times  has  been  ushered 
in.  The  Father  and  the  Son  and  other  heavenly  messengers 


382  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

have  visited  the  earth  and  restored  authority  to  act  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  as  in  days  of  old.  This  authority  has  been 
transmitted  from  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  to  others,  as  des- 
ignated by  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  by  the  laying 
on  of  hands.  In/  this  manner  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Priest- 
hood will  be  perpetuated  without  interruption  until  the  "king- 
doms of  this  world  shall  have1  become  the  kingdom  of  our  God 
and  His  Christ." 


PERSONALITY  OF  GOD. 

The  general  idea  of  Deity  accepted  throughout  the  so-called 
Christian  world  is  stated  briefly  in  this  way  :  "God  is  a  being 
without  body,  parts  or  passions." 

The  Latter-day  Saints  regard  our  Heavenly  Father  as  pos- 
sessing an  actual  tabernacle"  of  flesh  and  bones  (not  blood), 
and  that  in  His  image  man  is  created.  Our  views  respecting 
this  important  subject  are  based  upon  the  revelations  of  God 
to  man  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  and  regarding  which  there 
is  no  contradiction  in  the  testimony  of  the  prophets.  "God  said, 
Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness;  and  let  them 
have  dominion  over  the  fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of  the 
air,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over  all  the'  earth,  and  over  every 
creeping  thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth.  So  God  created 
man  in  His  own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created  He  him; 
male  and  female  created  He  them."  (Gen.  i:  26,  27.) 

It  is  claimed  by  some  that  this  likeness  is  only  to  be  un- 
derstood as  a  moral  image.  There  is,  however,  nothing  to  jus- 
tify such  a  view,  either  in  the  statement  quoted  or  any  other 
passage'  of  Holy  Writ.  On  the  contrary,  the  Scriptures  show 
that  man  is  actually  in  the  image  of  his  Maker.  Concerning 
His  appearance  to  Abraham,  we  read:  "And  the  Lord  ap- 
peared unto  him  in  the  .plains  of  Mamre ;  and  he  sat  in  the 
tent  door  in  the  heat  of  the  day ;  and  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  and 
looked,  and,  lo,  three  men  stood  by  him:  and  whem  he  saw  them, 
he  ran  to  meet  them  from  the  tent  door,  and  bowed  himself 
toward  the  ground,  and  said,  ''My  Lord,  if  nowr  I  have  found 
favor  in  thy  sight,  pass  not  away,  I  pray  thee,  from  thy  ser- 
vant: Let  a  little  water,  I  pray  you,  be  fetched,  and  wash  your 
feet,  and  rest  yourselves  under  the  tree."  (Gen.  xviii:  1-4.) 

Material  as  this  may  appear  to  many,  the  first  verse  of  the 
chapter,  as  well  as  other  verses  following  those  quoted,  proves 
conclusively  that  this  records  a  personal  appearing  of  the  Lord, 
and  also  that  He  has  a  tangible  being,  composed  of  various 
parts  of  the  body,  as  real  as  those  which  characterize  His  off- 


384  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

spring.  This  instance  is  only  one  out  of  many  in  which  the 
Lord  appeared  to  Abraham.  Read  the  seventeenth  chapter  of 
Genesis,  1-3,  "And  when  Abraham  was  ninety  years  old  and 
nine,  the  Lord  appeared  to  Abram,  and  said  unto  him,  I  am  the 
Almighty  God ;  walk  before  me,  and  be  thou  perfect.  And  I 
will  make'  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  will  multiply 
thee  exceedingly.  And  Abram  fell  on  his  face ;  and  God  talked 
with  him."  Then  follows  the  conversation  engaged  in  between 
God,  our  Eternal  Father,  and  Abraham,  the  "father  of  the1 
faithful."  How  such  an  event  should  occur  between  a  real  hu- 
man being  and  one  who  had  no  real  organization,  "without 
body,  parts  or  passions,"  requires  more  credulity  to  believe  than 
to  accept  the  idea  which  the  Scriptures  themselves  convey  in 
these  chapters,  viz :  that  God  has  an  actual  personality. 

If  language  more  direct  than  the  foregoing  is  required,  it  can 
be  found  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Genesis,  regarding  the  con- 
fusion of  tongues  at  the  tower  of  Babel.  "And  the  Lord  came 
down  to  see  the  city  and  the  tower,  which  the  children  of  men 
builded.  *  *  *  Go  to,  let  us  go  down,  and  there  confound 
their  language,  that  they  may  not  understand  one  another's 
speech."  It  is  evident  from  this  that  the  Lord  was  in  one"  place, 
the  tower  of  Babel  in  another ;  that  He  was  surrounded  by  asso- 
ciates, and  in  counsel  with  them  proposed  to  go  to  the  place 
where  the  tower  was  in  course  of  construction  and  there  defeat 
the  purpose  of  its  builders.  No  one  could  take  this  account, 
written  in  the  simplicity  of  truth,  believing  that  it  is  a  truthful 
statement  of  the  historical  facts,  and  still  believe  that  God 
is  without  body,  parts  or  passions  and  in  His  actual  individu- 
ality fills  at  once  the  immensity  of  space. 

The  entire  Bible  history  of  Abraham  is  also  one  continuous 
account  of  personal  visits,  conversations  and  covenants  made 
by  the  Almighty  to  and  with  the  patriarch.  Isaac  was*  also 
favored  with  the  presence  of  the  Lord :  "And  Isaac  went  unto 
Abimelech,  king  of  the  Philistines,  unto  Gerar.  And  the  Lord 
appeared  unto  'him  and  said,  Go  not  down  into  Egypt;  dwell  in 
the  land  which  I  shall  tell  thee  of."  (Gen.  xxvi:  1,  2.)  And  again 
in  the  twenty-fourth  verse  of  the  same  chapter :  "And  the 
Lord  appeared  unto  him  the  same  night,  and  said,  I  am  the  God 
of  Abraham  thy  father;  fear  not,  for  I  am  with  thee,  and  will 


PERSONALITY    OF   GOD.  385 

bless  thee,  and  multiply  thy  seed  for  my  servant  Abraham's 
sake." 

Jacob,  the  grandson  of  Abraham,  was  no  less  favored  of  the 
Lord  in  being  a  personal  witness  of  His  existence,  with  love 
and  interest  in  His  earthly  children :  "And  Jacob  said  unto 
Joseph,  God  Almighty  appeared  unto  me  at  Luz  in  the  land  of 
Canan  and  blessed  me,  and  said  unto  me,  Behold  I  will  make 
thee  fruitful,  and  multiply  thee,  and  I  will  make?  of  thee  a  mul- 
titude of  people ;  and  will  give  thisi  land  to  thy  seed  after  thee 
for  an  everlasting  possession."  (Gen.  xlviii:  3,  4.) 

Abraham  was  designated  "the  fathe'r  of  the  faithful,  the 
friend  of  God."  Of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  the  Lord  has 
said,  "I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob."  To  them 
He  made  glorious  promises  and  entered  into  everlasting  cove- 
nants extending  into  eternity.  He  promised  that  their  seed 
should  be  as  numerous  as  the  stars  of  heaven  and  as  countless 
as  the  sands  upon  the  seashore.  To  the  thoughtful  person  who 
reads  the  Scriptures  in  the  spirit  of  truth,  it  must  be?  apparent 
that  our  Heavenly  Father  foreknew  the  unchanging  integrity  of 
these  men,  and  because  of  this  gave  them  such  great  promises 
and  made  them,  by  His  visits  to  them,  living  witnesses  of  His 
existence  and  personality. 

Moses  is  another  witness  to  the  personality  of  God.  "And 
Moses  hid  his  face ;  for  he  was  afraid  to  look  upon  God."  (Ex. 
iii:6.)  On  another  occasion  there  were  over  seventy  witnesses 
that  God  is  a  personal  being.  "Then  went  up  Moses,  Aaron, 
Nadab  and  Abihu,  and  seventy  of  the  elders  of  Israel;  And  they 
saw  the  God  of  Israel ;  and  there  was  under  His  feet  as  it  were 
a  paved  work  of  sapphire  stone,  and  as  it  were  the  body  of 
heaven  in  His  clearness."  (Ex.  xiiv:  9,  10.)  He  said  to  the 
prophet  Moses:  "Thou  canst  not  see  my  face;  for  there  shall  no 
man  see  me  and  live.  And  the  Lord  said,  Behold,  there  is  a 
place  by  me,  and  thou  shalt  stand  upon  a  rock;  and  it  shall  come 
to  pass,  while  my  glory  passeth  by,  that  I  will  put  thee  in  a 
clift  of  the  rock,  and  will  cover  thee  with  my  hand  while  I  pass 
by;  and  I  will  take  away  my  hand,  and  thou  shalt  see  my  back 
parts;  but  my  face  shall  not  be  seen."  (Ex.  xxxiii:  20-23.)  Again 
it  is  written:  ""My  servant  Moses  is  not  so,  who  is  faithful  in  all 
mine  house.  With  him  will  I  speak  mouth  to  mouth,  even  ap- 

25 


386  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

parently,  and  not  in  dark  speeches;  and  the  similitude  of  the 
Lord  shall  he  behold."  (Num.  xii  :7,  8.) 

These  quotations  respecting  the  prophet  Mose's  show  that  on 
some  occasions  he  had  personal  visits  from  the  Lord.  In  one 
instance  he  was  accompanied  by  over  seventy  associates,  and 
once  he  was  permitted  to  see  the  back  parts  only.  These  state- 
ments are  so  much  in  detail  and  in  such  direct  language  that 
they  are  not  susceptible  of  any  private  interpretation,  but  must 
be  taken  in  a  literal  sense.  How  any  one  can  profess  to  believe 
in  the  Bible  and  read  these  statements,  yet  deny  the  personality 
of  God,  is  a  matter  of  wonder  and  astonishment,  and  can  only 
be  accounted  for  in  the  fact  that  people  have  been  taught  to 
accept  the  precepts  of  men  without  taking  the  natural  and 
reasonable  conclusions  which  a  personal  reading  of  the  Scrip- 
tures would  establish  in  their  own  minds. 

When  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  was  beset  by  the  Assyrians 
he  offered  the  following  prayer  to  the  Lord:  "Lord,  bow  down 
thine  ear,  and  hear;  open,  Lord,  thine  eyes,  and  see;  and  he^r 
the  word  of  Sennacherib,  which  hath  sent  him  to  reproach  the 
living  G-od.  (II  Kings  xix:  16.)  And  again  it  is  written:  "Now 
mine  eyes  shall  be  open,  and  my  ears  attend  unto  the  prayer 
that  is  made  in  this  place.  For  now  have  I  chosen  and  sancti- 
fied this  house,  that  my  name  may  be  there  forever ;  and  mine 
eyes  and  mine  heart  shall  be"  there  perpetually."  (II  Chron. 
vii:15,  16.)  The  Psalmist  David  expressed  himself,  saying: 
"I  have  called  upon  Thee,  for  Thou  wilt  hear  me,  O  God;  incline 
thine  ear  unto  me,  and  hear  my  speech.  As  for  me,  I  will  behold 
thy  face  in  righteousness;  I  shall  be  satisfied,  when  I  awake 
with  Thy  likeness."  (Psalms  xvii:  6,  15.)  These  expressions  in 
the  prayers  of  righteous  men  point  to  the  manifest  truth  that 
God  has  eyes  to  see,  ears  to  hear,  a  heart  with  Which  to  love,  a 
mouth  to  speak ;  and  taken  with  other  statements  of  Holy  Writ, 
show  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  reasonable  doubt,  that  our 
Heavenly  Father  is  possessed  of  a  body  composed  of  the  various 
parts  which  go  to  constitute  the  several  members  of  a  human 
body,  and  that  He  is  susceptible  of  anger,  love  and  hatred.  He 
hates  iniquity  and  loves  righteousness.  He  is  angry  with  the 
wicked  every  day.  Such  are  the  statements  of  Holy  Writ.  He, 
therefore,  cannot  be  without  body,  parts  or  passions. 

The  Lord  was  also  seen  by  the  prophet  Isaiah.    "In  the  year 


PERSONALITY   OF  GOD.  387 

that  King  Uzziah  died,  I  saw  also  the  Lord  sitting  upon  a 
throne,  high  and  lifted  up,  and  His  train  filled  the  temple."  (Isa. 
vi:  1.)  To  corroborate  these  testimonies  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment we  call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  several  passages  in 
the  New.  When  Stephen  was  being  martyred  he  saw  God : 
"But  he,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  looked  up  steadfastly  into 
heaven,  and  saw  the  glory  of  Gcd,  and  Jesus  standing  on  the 
right  hand  of  God,  and  said,  Behold,  I  see  the  heavens  opened, 
and  the  Son  of  Man  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  God."  (Acts 
vii:  55,  50.)  Nothing  could  be  plainer  and  more  convincing  from 
the  written  Scripture's  than  that  Stephen  actually  saw  God,  and 
that  He  and  His  Son  were  in  the  heavens  in  the  presence  of 
each  other. 

Paul  wrote  to  the  Philippians  as  follows :  "Let  this  mind  be 
in  you,  which  was  also  in  Christ  Jesus ;  who,  being  in  the  form 
of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God."  (Phillip, 
ii:  5,  C.)  And  again  in  Col.  i:  15,  Paul  said  respecting  the 
Savior:  "Who  is  the  image  of  the  invisible  God,  the  first  born 
of  every  creature."  To  the  Hebrews  the  same  apostle  says, 
concerning  Jesus  :  "Who  being  the"  brightness  of  his  glory,  and 
the  express  image  of  His  person,  and  upholding  all  things  by  the 
word  of  His  power,  when  He  had  by  Himself  purged  our  sins, 
sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high."  (Heb.  i:  3.) 
These  writings  of  Paul,  though  not  relating  to  a  peTsonal  appear- 
ance of  God,  fully  corroborate  in  doctrine  all  the  quotations  on 
the  subject  made  from  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  The 
Scriptures  referred  to  show  conclusively  the  personality  of  the 
Father,  and  a  portion  of  the  quotations  presented,  point  to  the 
fact  that  He  is  a  separate  personage,  and  entirely  distinct  in 
person  from  His  Son  Jesus  Christ. 

We  now  call  the  attention  of  the  reader  to  a  few  passages 
of  Scripture,  showing  the  personality  of  the  Savior,  not  only 
in  reference  to  His  individuality  before  His  crucifixion,  but 
showing  that  in  His  resurrected  and  immortal  state,  He  will 
continue  a  separate  and  distinct  personality  from  all  other 
beings.  Subsequent  to  His  resurrection  He  appeared  to  the 
apostles;  at  first  sight  they  were  terrified,  and  supposed  they 
had  seen  a  spirit,  "And  He  said  unto  them,  Why  are  ye 
troubled?  And  why  do  thoughts  arise  in  your  hearts?  Be- 
hold my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I  myself;  handle  me  and 


388  COWLEY  'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

see;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  ye  see  me  have. 
And  when  He  had  thus  spoken  He  showed  them  His  hands 
and  His  feet.  And  while  they  yet  believed  not  for  joy,  and 
wondered,  He  said  unto  them,  Have  ye  here  any  meat?  And 
they  gave  Him  a  piece  of  a  broiled  fish,  and  of  an  honeycomb. 
And  He  took  it,  and  did  eat  before  them."  (Luke  xxiv;  38-45.) 
Thomas,  one  of  the  Twelve,  was  not  with  them  when  Jesus 
came,  and  when  told  by  his  brethren  that  they  had  seen  the 
Lord,  he  would  not  believe  them,  and  said:  "Except  I  shall 
see  in  His  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  finger  into 
the  print  of  the  nails,  and  thrust  my  hand  into  His  side,  I 
will  not  believe."  Subsequent  to  this  appearance,  Thomas 
w>as  present  when  the  Savior  invited  him  to  satisfy  his  mind 
to  the  fullest  extent,  thrusting  his  hand  into  His  side  and  be- 
holding the  wounds  in  His  hands  and  feet,  when  he  exclaimed, 
"My  Lord  and  my  God."  (John  xx:  25,  28.) 

Here  is  a  clear  demonstration  that  Jesus  in  His  immortal 
state  continues  as  a  personal  being,  with  a  tangible  body  of 
flesh  and  bones.  To  show  that  there  is  no  change  in  the  per- 
sonal status  of  the  Savior,  eighteen  hundred  years  have  passed 
away  since  His  resurrection,  and  yet  we  learn  from  the  Scrip- 
tures that  still  in  the  future  He  shall  appear  in  the  same 
body:  "And  His  feet  shall  stand  in  that  day  upon  the  Mount 
of  Olives,  which  is  before  Jerusalem  on  the  east,  and  the 
Mount  of  Olives  shall  cleave  in  the  midst  thereof.  *  *  *  And 
the  Lord  my  God  shall  come,  and  all  the  saints  with  Thee." 
(Zeeh.  xiv:  4-6.)  In  the  thirteenth  chapter,  which  appears  to 
be  connected  with  His  appearance  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
we  find  the  following  statement:  "And  one  shall  say  unto 
Him,  What  are  these  wounds  in  thine  hands?  Then  He  shall 
answer,  Those  with  which  I  was  wounded  in  the  house  of  my 
friends."  (Zech.  xiii:  6.) 

Many  entertain  the  belief  that  of  the  three  personages  con- 
stituting the  Godhead  only  one  is  a  personal  being  with  a  tan- 
gible body,  viz.:  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Enough  evidence  has 
been  offered  to  prove  the  contrary  of  this  erroneous  theory; 
but  as  the  Scriptures  are  full  of  evidence  on  this  important 
subject,  I  will  present  the  reader  with  several  quotations  which 
will  aid  him  in  his  researches  after  the  truth  respecting  this 


PERSONALITY   OF  GOD.  389 

important  doctrine.  Matthew  informs  us  concerning  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Savior  that  "The  heavens  were  opened  unto  him, 
and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God  descending  like  a  dove  and 
lighting  upon  Him:  And  lo  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
'This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.'  "  (Matt, 
iii :  16,  17.)  In  this  instance  the  Savior  is  represented  as  being 
at  the  waters  of  Jordan,  while  the  voice  of  His  Father  came 
from  the  courts  of  heaven,  showing  that  the  Father  and  Jesus 
are  two  distinct  personages,  existing  in  separate  places  at  the 
same  time.  This  testimony  of  Matthew  is  corroborated  by 
that  of  Mark  and  Luke,  the  former  in  the  eleventh  verse  of  his 
first  chapter:  "And  there  came  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
"Thou  art  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased'"; 
and  in  Luke,  the  third  chapter  and  twenty-second  verse,  as 
follows:  "And  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily  shape 
like  a  dove  upon  Him,  and  a  voice  came  from  heaven,  which 
said,  Thou  art  my  beloved  Son;  in  thee  I  am  well  pleased.'  " 

It  is  recorded  that  on  one  occasion,  while  the  Savior  seri- 
ously contemplated  the  coming  ordeal  of  His  crucifixion,  this 
occurred:  "And  Jesus  answered  them,  saying,  'The  hour  is 
come,  that  the  Son  of  Man  should  be  glorified.  He  that  loveth 
his  life  shall  lose  it.  If  any  man  serve  me,  let  him  follow  me. 
If  any  man  serve  me,  him  will  my  Father  honor.  Now  is  my 
soul  troubled;  and  what  shall  I  say?  Father  save  me  from 
this  hour;  but  for  this  cause  came  I  unto  this  hour.  Father, 
glorify  thy  name.'  Then  came  there  a  voice  from  heaven, 
saying,  'I  have  both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again.'  "  (St. 
John  xiii:  23,  25,  26,  27,  28.) 

Still  another  instance  where  the  voice  of  the  Father  was 
heard,  and  in  the  presence  of  other  witnesses  than  the  Savior, 
is  recorded  in  Matthew,  seventeenth  chapter,  fifth  and  sixth 
verses:  "While  He  yet  spake,  behold,  a  bright  cloud  over- 
shadowed them:  and  behold  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  which 
said,  'This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased; 
hear  ye  him.'  And  when  the  disciples  heard  it,  they  fell  on 
their  face,  and  were  sore  afraid."  The  disciples  here  referred  to 
were  Peter,  James  and  John.  Peter  relates  this  impressive 
event  as  follows:  "For  we  have  not  followed  cunningly  de- 
vised fables,  when  we  made  known  unto  you  the  power  and 
coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  were  eye-witnesses  of 
His  majesty.  For  He  received  from  God  the  Father  honor 


390  COWLEY'S  TALKS  OJST  DOCTRINE. 

and  glory,  and  there  came  such  a  voice  to  Him  from  the  excel- 
lent glory,  'This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased.' 
And  this  voice  which  came  from  heaven  we  heard  when  we 
were  with  Him  in  the  holy  mount." 

The  account  of  this  vision  is  also  recorded  in  Mark  ix:  7: 
"And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  cloud,  saying:  'This  is  my  be- 
loved Son;  hear  Him.'  "  It  is  also  said  in  Luke  ix:  35. 
"And  there  came  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  saying,  'This  is  my 
beloved  Son:  Hear  Him.'  "  Surely  the  testimony  of  three  or 
four  reliable  witnesses  is  sufficient  to  affirm  the  truth  of  this 
matter.  When  the  Savior  addressed  the  Father,  no  one  could 
reasonably  say  that  He  was  addressing  Himself.  We  have 
many  instances  recorded  by  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament 
that  Jesus  supplicated  His  Father  in  humble  prayer.  "I  thank 
Thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  Thou  hast  hid 
these  things  f  rom  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them 
unto  babes;  even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight. 
All  tnings  are  delivered  to  me  of  my  Father."  (Luke  x:  21,  22.) 
"Father,  the  hour  is  come;  glorify  Thy  Son,  that  Thy  Son 
also  may  glorify  Thee.  And  now,  O  Father,  glorify  Thou 
me  with  Thine  own  self,  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with 
Thee  before  the  world  was."  (John  xvii:  1,  5.)  "I  came  forth 
from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world;  again,  I  leave 
the  world,  and  go  to  the  Father."  (John  xvi:  28.) 

To  these  references  may  be  add^d  those  before  referred  to, 
giving  an  account  of  the  martyrdom  of  Stephen,  in  the  seventh 
chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  statement  by 
Paul,  in  the  first  chapter  of  kis  letter  to  the  Hebrews.  Many 
other  scriptural  testimonies  might  be  cited  to  prove  that  the 
Father  and  the  Son  are  personal  beings,  each  separate  and  dis- 
tinct from  the  other. 

The  following  passage  of  Scripture  is  often  cited  to  prove 
that  the  Savior  is  the  only  personal  being  in  the  Deity: 
"Neither  pray  I  for  these  alone,  but  for  them  also  which  shall 
believe  on  me  through  their  word;  that  they  all  may  be  one; 
as  Thou,  Father,  art  in  me  and  I  in  Thee,  that  they  also  may 
be  one  in  us;  that  the  world  may  believe  that  Thou  hast  sent 
me.  And  the  glory  which  Thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  them; 
that  they  may  be  one,  even  as  we  are  one."  (John  xvii:  20-22.) 

The  very  wording  of  this  Scripture  shows  that  the  Father 


PERSONALITY   OF   GOD.  391 

and.  the  Son  are  not  one  in  person,  because  He  prays  that  all 
the  disciples  may  be  one  in  the  same  manner  that  the  Father 
and  the  Son  are  one,  and  one  in  that  sense  only,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  the  oneness  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  is  perfect 
and  complete.  Their  unity  consists  in  being  one  in  wisdom, 
one  in  knowledge,  one  in  power,  one  in  council,  having  a  unity 
of  purpose  in  the  accomplishment  of  man's  salvation  to  the 
fullest  extent  and  in  every  conceivable  respect.  The  disciples 
of  Jesus  could  not  be  one  in  person,  for  each  of  himself  is  a 
separate  individuality;  they  can  be  one,  however,  as  the 
Father  and  Son  are  one,  in  the  accomplishment  of  one  great 
purpose — the  salvation  of  mankind — 'because  they  are  baptized 
by  one  Spirit  into  one  body,  even  the  church  of  Christ;  they 
have  one  Lord,  one  faith  and  one  baptism,  and  are  all  taught 
of  God,  having  "access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father"  (Eph 
ii:  18),  who  is  not  the  author  of  confusion,  and  cannot  con- 
sistently, with  His  own  attributes,  contradict  Himself. 

When  Jesus  sent  His  disciples  into  the  world  He  commanded 
them  to  baptize  penitent  believers  "in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  (Matt,  xxviii:  19.) 
These  three  personages  are  understood  by  believers  in  the 
Bible  to  constitute  the  Godhead.  We  have  shown  that  the 
Father  and  Son  are  separate  personages.  It  is  just  as  evident, 
from  the  Scriptures,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  as  much  a  separate 
and  distinct  personage  as  are  the  other  two.  Concerning  the 
enormity  of  sinning  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  Jesus  said: 
"Wherefore  I  say  unto  you,  all  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy 
shall  be  forgiven  unto  men:  but  the  blasphemy  against  the 
Holy  Ghost  shall  mot  be  forgiven  unto  men.  And  whoso- 
ever speaketh  a  word  against  the  Son  of  'Man,  it  shall  be  for- 
given him;  but  whosoever  speaketh  against  the  Holy  Ghost, 
it  shall  not  be  forgiven  him,  neither  in  this  world,  neither  in 
the  world  to  come."  (Matt,  xiif  31-32).  Again,  "Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  all  sins  shall  be  forgive*  unto  the  sons  of  men, 
and  blasphemies  wherewith  soever  they  shall  blaspheme;  but  he 
that  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  never  for- 
giveness, but  is  in  danger  of  eternal  damnation."  (Mark  iii: 
28-29.) 

Agreeable  to  the  language  of  these  quotations,  there  is  a 
distinct  separation  between  the  personality  of  the  Savior  and 


392  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

that  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Jesus,  in  speaking  of  those  who 
should  believe  and  obey  Him,  used  this  language:  "He  that 
believeth  on  me,  as  the  Scripture  hath  said,  out  of  his  belly 
shall  flow  rivers  of  living  water.  But  this  spake  he  of 
the  Spirit,  which  they  that  believe  on  Him  should  receive;  for 
the  Holy  G-host  was  not  yet  given;  because  that  Jesus  was  not 
yet  glorified."  (John  vii:  38,  39.)  It  appears  from  this  state- 
ment that  while  Jesus  was  the  representative  of  the  Godhead 
to  men  in  the  flesh,  at  least  for  a  period  of  time,  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  not  come  to  officiate  at  that  time  as  a  personal 
witness  of  the  .Father  and  the  Son  to  the  children  of  men. 
To  corroborate  this  idea,  we  quote  from  the  sixteenth  chapter 
of  John,  seventh  verse:  "Nevertheless  I  tell  you  the  truth; 
it  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if  I  go  not  away, 
the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will 
send  Him  unto  you."  That  this  Comforter  is  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  evident  from  the  fourteenth  chapter  of  'St.  John,  sixteenth 
and  twenty-sixth  verses:  "And  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He 
shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  He  may  abide  with  you 
forever.  But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom 
the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  He  shall  teach  you  all 
things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  whatso- 
ever I  have  said  unto  you."  Further:  "But  when  the  Com- 
forter is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father, 
even  the  Spirit  of  Truth,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  He 
shall  testify  of  me."  (John,  xv:  26.) 

These  promises  are  so  definite  that  no  one  could  reasonably 
mingle  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Ghost  with  that  of  either 
the  Father  or  the  Son.  After  the  crucifixion  and  resurrection 
of  the  Savior,  and  when  He  had  spent  forty  days  with  His 
disciples  before  His  ascension,  instructing  them  preparatory 
to  their  great  mission,  before  He  allowed  them  to  go  out,  He 
reminded  them  of  the  promise  which  He  had  made  to  them, 
and  commanded  them  to  tarry  at  Jerusalem  "until  ye  be  en- 
duecl  with  power  from  on  high."  (Luke  xxiv:  49.)  This 
promise  was  fulfilled  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the 
powers  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were  manifest  through  His  glorious 
gifts  which  attended  the  apostles  on  that  occasion.  On  that 
great  day  the  Holy  Ghost  as  a  gift  for  their  permanent  guid- 
ance, was  promised  to  all  without  distinction  of  time  or  place, 


PERSONALITY   OF   GOD.  393 

if  they  would  have  faith,  repent  and  be  'baptized  by  divine 
authority. 

The  personality  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  a  minister  for  God 
has  been  enjoyed  in  every  dispensation  of  the  Gospel.  "Men 
and  brethren,  this  Scripture  must  needs  have  been  fulfilled, 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  mouth  of  David  spake."  (Acts 
i:  16.)  Again:  "Ye  stiff-necked  and  uncircumcised  in  heart 
and  ears,  ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost;  as  your  fathers 
did,  so  do  ye."  (Acts  vii:  51.)  This  is  proof  that  David 
and  the  prophets  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  as  did  the  disciples  in  the  dispensation  of  Christ;  also 
that  the  ancients  rejected  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
as  did  the  people  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  The  apostle 
Peter  says:  "For  the  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the 
will  of  man;  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost."  (II  Peter  i:  21.)  No  one  by  reading 
the  Scriptures  can  reasonably  deduce  therefrom  that  divinely 
authorized  men  were  justified  in  their  official  ministrations  in 
speaking  by  any  other  power  than  that  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Pau:  says:  "No  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord  but  by 
the  Holy  Ghost."  (I  Cor.  xii:  3.) 

The  great  gifts  of  the  Spirit  have  been  referred  to  in  earlier 
pages  of  this  work,  and  need  not  be  repeated  here;  but  the 
character  of  those  gifts  and  the  constant  necessity  for  their 
existence,  together  with  the  passages  quoted  here,  are  positive 
proof  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  one  of  the  Deity  and  a  separate 
personage  from  the  Father  and  Son.  At  the  Baptism  of  the 
Messiah  He  was  present  in  the  waters  of  the  Jordan  with  John 
the  Baptist.  The  Father  was  in  the  heavens  above,  and  His 
voice  was  heard,  while  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  upon  the 
Savior,  as  witnessed  by  its  appearance  in  the  form  of  a  dove. 
The  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost.  The  three  constitute  the 
great,  supreme  Godhead,  yet  are  as  separate  and  distinct  in 
their  personalities  as  any  earthly  parents  and  the  children. 


REVELATION. 

For  eighteen  centuries  the  people  of  this  world  have  been  grop- 
ing in  spiritual  darkness.  They  have  had  the  Bible,  it  is  true, 
but  what  have  they  learned  from  it?  In  letter,  many  things.  In 
the  true  spirit  of  divine  inspiration,  they  have  learned  little. 
"The  letter  killeth,  but  the  spirit  giveth  life."  (II  Cor.  iii:  6.) 
They  are  "ever  learning,  and  never  able  to  come  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth."  (II  Tim.  iii:  7.)  These  statements  of  Holy 
Writ  are  fully  corroborated  by  human  experience  in  religious 
matters.  The  world  is  divided  and  sub-divided  into  many  con- 
tending factions,  professing  Christianity,  yet  not  having  a  unity 
of  faith.  Many  ideas  of  tlie  Lord,  many  faiths  in  baptism.  "One 
Lord,  one"  faith,  one  baptism."  (Eph.  iv:5),  was  the  doctrine 
of  Paul.  "Straight  is  the  gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  which 
leadeth  unto  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it."  (Matthew 
vii:14.) 

What  is  the  cause  of  all  this  uncertainty  respecting  the  glori- 
ous plan  of  eternal  life?  If  one  was  or  is  right,  all  opposing 
methods  must  be  wrong.  We  answer  that  the  lack  of  unity,  the 
ignorance  in  relation  to  the  Gospel,  and  finally  skepticism  and 
infidelity,  are  due  to  substituting  the  wisdom  of  men  for  the 
revelation  of  God,  using  human  learning  instead  of  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

We  desire  to  show  in  this  article  that  without  direct  and 
continuous  revelation  from  God,  the  Gospel  cannot  be  under- 
stood and  properly  applied  for  the  salvation  of  mankind,  nor 
can  the  purposes  of  God  be  accomplished  on  the  earth.  First, 
we  take  dire'ct  statements  of  Scripture :  "Where  there  is  no 
vision,  the  people  perish ;  but  he  that  keepeth  the  law,  happy  is 
he."  (Prov.  xxix:18.)  The  law  of  God  has  never  been  kept 
without  the  Spirit  of  God  to  enlighten  those'  who  sought  to  keep 
it.  The  history  of  the  human  family,  from  Adam  to  Noah, 
from  Noah  to  Moses,  from  Moses  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
in  all  subsequent  ages,  proves  beyond  cavil  that  where  there  was 
no.  vision  from  heaven,  no  inspired  voice',  no  revelation,  the 


REVELATION.  395 

people  utterly  perished  in  darkness  and  unbelief.  The  combined 
wisdom  and  learning  of  men  could  not  save  them  from  spiritual 
darkness. 

That  there  may  be  an  authorized  channel  of  communication 
between  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  the  Lord  has,  whenever 
His  Church  has  existed  on  the  earth,  appointed  men  to  receive 
His  will  and  make  it  known  to  the  people.  "Surely  the  Lord 
God  will  do  nothing,  but  He  revealeth  His  secrets  unto  His 
servants,  the  prophets."  (Amos  iii:7.)  This  literally  might  be 
understood  as  equivalent  to  saying  that  where  no  prophet  was, 
there  the  Lord  was  doing  nothing  that  would  result  in  man's 
salvation.  Without  being  technical  respecting  the  language  of 
Amos,  the  history  of  the  world  from  Adam  down  provefs  his 
statements  true.  When  there  has  been  no  prophet  there  has 
been  no  revelation  from  God.  When  there  has  been  no  reve- 
lation or  vision  the  people  have  wandered  to  and  fro,  have 
tossed  upon  the  billows1  of  clashing  opinion,  perished  in  dark- 
ness and  have  been  buried  in  the  great  ocean  of  doubt  and  un- 
certainty. On  the  other  hand,  when  authorized  prophets  have 
existed  among  men  we  may  exclaim  with  the  ancient  Scriptures  : 
"I  have  also  spoken  by  the  prophets,  and  I  have  multiplied 
visions,  and  used  similitudes,  by  tlie  ministry  of  the  prophets. 
And  by  a  prophet  the  Lord  brought  Israel  out  of  Egypt, 
and  by  a  prophet  was  he  preserved."  (Hosea  xii:  10,  13.)  And 
we  affirm  that  without  prophets  Israel  nefver  was  preserved 
and  never  will  be. 

In  looking  over  the  field  of  mysterious  sayings  contained  in 
the  Bible,  as  well  as  the  mystery  which  enshrouds  many  phases 
of  human  history,  we  are  consoled  by  the"  promise  of  the  Savior : 
"For  there  is  nothing  covered,  that  shall  not  be  revealed;  neither 
hid,  that  shall  not  be  known."  (Luke  xii:  2;  Matthew  x:  26; 
Mark  iv  :22.)  In  thisi  connection  we  may  cite  the  fact  that  men 
by  le'arning  do  not  see  the  truth  alike,  they  do  not  harmonize 
on  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  Gospel.  As  an  example, 
they  cannot,  unaided  by  revelation,  tell  the  origin,  history  and 
destiny  of  the  American  Indians. 

Isaiah,  over  200  years  before  the  advent  of  the  Messiah, 
foresaw  the  spiritual  ignorance  of  the  last  days  and  how  that 
condition  would  be  ovrcome  by  the  light  of  revelation.  He 
prophesied  as  follows :  "Wherefore  the  Lord  said,  Forasmuch 


o96  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

as  this  people  draw  near  me  with  their  mouth,  and  with  their 
lips  do  honor  me,  but  have  removed  their  heart  far  from  me, 
and  their  fear  toward  me  is  taught  by  the  precept  of  men: 
Therefore,  behold,  I  will  proceed  to  do  a  marvelous  work  among 
this  pe'ople,  even  a  marvelous  work  and  a  wonder ;  for  the 
wisdom  of  their  wise  men  shall  perish,  and  the  understanding 
of  their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid."  (Isa.  xxix:13, 14.)  By 
reading  the  context  it  is  evident  that  the  prophecy  refers  to  a 
time  later  than  the1  first  coming  of  the  iSavior,  and  that  the  pre- 
diction never  could  be  verified  without  direct  revelation  from 
heaven. 

Paul,  writing  to  the  Hebrews,  calls  attention  to  the  great 
truth  that  the  method  of  the  Lord  in  leading  His  people  from 
the  beginning  has  been  by  revelation.  He  says :  "God,  who  at 
sundry  times  and  in  divers  manners,  spake  in  time  past  unto 
the  fathers  by  the  prophets,  Hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto 
us  by  His  Son."  (Heb.  i  :1,  2.)  Jesus  said  in  St.  John  xvii  :3  : 
"And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  know  Thee,  the  only 
true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  Thou  hast  sent."  Paul  says 
in  I  Cor.  xii  :3.  "No  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord  but 
by  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Whe'n  Peter  received  a  knowledge  of  the  divinity  and  mission 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Savior  said  unto  him :  "Blessed 
art  thou,  Siinon  Bar-jona ;  for  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed 
it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father,  which  is  in  heaven."  It  required 
a  revelation  for  Peter  to  receive  that  testimony.  How  could 
any  one  receive  that  knowledge  without  revelation  from  God? 
The  Jews  saw  Jesus,  witnessed  His  wondrous  miracles  of  heal- 
ing the  sick,  giving  siight  to  the'  blind,  unstopping  the  ears  of  the 
deaf  and  even  raising  the  dead,  but  all  that  was  not  sufficient. 
They  read  the  ancient  prophecies,  pointing  to  the  birth  and  na- 
tivity, the  birthplace,  life,  ministry  and  martyrdom  of  the  Mes- 
siah. Yet  were  they  blind,  with  eyes  to  see ;  deaf,  with  ears 
to  hear,  and  without  understanding.  No  reason  can  be  assigned 
for  the  ignorance  of  the  masses  and  the  enlightenment  of  the 
humble  fishermen  other  than  that  the"  former  depended  upon  the 
learning  of  men ;  the  latter  had  received  a  revelation  from  God. 
To  place  the  necessity  of  revelation  beyond  question  as  to  ob- 
taining a  knowledge  of  God,  we  quote  the  statement  of  Jesus 
to  His  disciples:  "All  things  are  delivered  to  me  of  my  Father; 


REVELATION.  397 

and  no  man  knoweth  who  the  Son  is,  but  the  Father;  and  who 
the  Father  is,  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom  the  Son  will  reveal 
Him."  (Luke  x:  22.)  Compare  this  plain,  unmistakable  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  with  the  assertions  of  modern  divines,  who  claim 
that  the  canon  of  Scripture  is  full  and  that  we  do  not  need 
divine  revelation  as  it  was  given  to  men  in  ancient  days.  The 
position  of  the  latte'r  simply  contradicts  the  plainest  teachings 
of  Holy  Writ.  If  it  required  revelation  2,000  years  ago  to  know 
that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  nothing  short  of  revelation  from 
heaven  will  secure  that  knowledge  now.  Notice,  too,  the  re- 
markable fact  that  notwithstanding  all  the  personal  experience 
of  the  apostles  through  their  association  with  the  Savior,  He 
commanded  them  to  "tarry  ye  at  Jerusalem  until  ye  be  endued 
with  power  from  on  high."  (Luke,  chapter  24.) 

Another  phase  of  the  subject  is  this,  that  men  claim  that 
which  is  written  in  the  Scriptures  is  sufficient.  This  view  simply 
makes  uninspired  men  the  judge  of  what  is  and  what  is  not  es- 
sential as  to  all  the  writings  of  the  apostles  and  prophets  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  This  is  an  unwarrantable  assumption,  condemned 
by  the  Scripture ;  for  John  says,  concerning  that  which  he  had 
written  in  the  Book  of  Revelation :  "For  I  testify  unto  every 
man  that  heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  If  any 
man  shall  add  unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the 
plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book ;  and  if  any  man  shall  take 
away  from  the  words  cf  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall 
take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy 
city,  and  from  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book." 
(Rev.  xxii:  18,  19.) 

This  does  not  deny  God  the  privilege  of  adding  more  revela- 
tion, as  it  is  an  undisputed  fact  that  the  Gospel  according  to  St. 
John  was  written  subsequent  to  the  Apocalypse ;  but  it  is  a 
decree  of  divine  displeasure  upon  any  man  who  shall  add  to  or 
take  from  the  revelations  of  the  Alinighty.  In  the  face  of  this 
decree,  history  informs  us  that  councils  of  the  Roman  Church 
sat  in  judgment  upon  the  writings  of  the  apostles,  and  received 
only  that  which,  in  the  light  of  their  human  wisdom,  was  ac- 
ceptable to  them.  Notwithstanding  this  fact,  the  various  fac- 
tions of  Christendom  are  essaying  to  build  upon  the  foundation 
of  what  has  come  down  to  them  through  the  channel  of  unau- 
thorized councils  of  men.  May  we  not  ask  with  perfect  pro- 


398  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

priety,  is  not  that  which  was  rejected  or  lost  just  as  valuable 
as  much  of  that  which  has  been  handed  down  to  us? 

As  proof  that  writings  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus  have  been  lost 
to  the  world,  I  would  call  special  attention  to  several  passages 
of  the  Scripture.  The  writings  of  the  New  Testament  are  from 
eight  authors — Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  Peter,  Paul,  James 
and  Jude.  Luke  says :  "Forasmuch  as  many  have  taken  in 
hand  to  set  forth  in  order  a  declaration  of  these  things  which 
are  most  surely  believed  among  us."  (Luke  i:l.)  While  the're 
is  no  definite  proof  in  this  statement  as  to  how  many  had  writ- 
ten their  testimonies  concerning  the  Messiah,  it  is  evident  they 
were  not  few,  but  many.  That  there  was  opportunity  and  ma- 
terial upon  which  to  write  respecting  this  glorious  subject,  the 
life  and  ministry  of  Jesus,  is  very  apparent  from  the  last  verse 
of  the  twenty-first  chapter  of  St.  John,  as  follows  :  "And  there 
are  also  many  other  things  which  Jesus  did,  the1  which,  if  they 
should  be  written,  every  one,  I  suppose  that  even  the  world  it- 
self could  not  contain  the  books  that  should  be  written."  With 
such  a  statement,  it  is  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  world  who 
believed  in  the  Redeemer  should  rest  contented  with  the  narrow 
view  that  we  have  all  that  is  important. 

We  have'  in  the  New  Testament  what  is  called  I  Cor.  and  II 
Cor.,  written  to  the  Saints  in  Corinth  by  the  apostle  Paul.  In 
I  Cor.,  chapter  v  :9,  we  have  this:  "I  wrote  unto  you  in  an 
epistle  not  to  company  with  fornicators."  This  must  have  been 
previous  to  the  one  in  which  this  occurs,  and  yet  such  an 
epistle  is  not  found  in  our  New  Testament.  In  Col.  iv  :16, 
Paul  says  :  "And  when  this  epistle  is  read  among  you,  cause 
that  it  be  read  also  in  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans ;  and  that 
ye  likewise  read  the  epistle  from  Laodicea."  This  refers  to  an 
epistle  from  Paul  to  the  Colossians,  written  from  Laodicea,  but 
which  is  not  found  in  the  canon  of  Scripture  as  we  have  it. 
in  II  Tim.,  chapter  iv:  13,  Paul  requests  Timothy  to  bring  him 
certain  parchments ;  what  they  contained  we  know  not.  Jude 
says  :  "And  Enoch  also,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  prophesied 
of  these  things,  saying:  'Behold  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten 
thousand  of  His  saints.'  "  How  delightful  it  would  be  to  read 
the  predictions  and  teachings  of  that  great  prophet  Enoch,  the 
man  who  walked  and  talked  with  God  365  years,  "and  was  not, 
for  God  took  him."  Only  a  few  verses  in  the  Old  and  New 


REVELATION.  399 

Testament  are  all  we  have  in  the  canon  of  Scripture  respecting 
Enoch  and  his  city.  What  a  glorious  flood  of  light  will  dawn 
upon  the  world  when  the  writings  of  Enoch  are  revealed !  In 
the1  Old  Testament  may  be  found  references  to  about  thirty 
books  written  by  the  Jewish  scribes  and  prophets,  but  which 
have  been  lost  to  the  world,  rejected  and  cast  aside  by  unin- 
spired, unauthorized  councils  of  men. 

Suppose  that  all  that  is  necessary  so  far  as  explanation  of 
doctrine  is  concerned  is  contained  in  the  New  Testament,  we 
are  then  confronted  with  man's  inability  to  understand  what  has 
been  revealed  without  the  light  of  revelation  to  guide  the  hu- 
man mind  in  understanding  and  applying  the  truth.  As  proof 
of  this.  I  will  cite  the  testimony  of  Paul :  "For  what  man 
knoweth  the  things  of  a  man,  save  the  spirit  of  man  which  is 
in  him?  Even  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth  no  man,  but  the 
Spirit  of  God.  *  *  *  But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him ; 
neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned." (I  Cor.  ii:ll,  14.)  Jesus  said  to  Nicodemus :  "Ex- 
cept a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God." 
( St.  John  iii  :3. )  "No  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the  Lord 
but  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  (I  Cor.  xii:3.)  The  truth  of  the'se 
sacred  sayings  is  verified  by  the  history  of  the  world,  which  has 
languished  in  darkness  without  revelation,  as  shown  by  previous 
quotations. 

Another  very  important  feature  of  this  subject  consists  in 
the  fact,  that  there  always  'have  been  in  every  gospel  dispensa- 
tion labors  to  perform  of  a  practical  character,  such  as  the 
building  of  temples,  the  gathering  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  the 
building  of  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  etc.,  none  of  which  coukl 
be  accomplished  except  by  direct  revelation  from  God.  We 
may  therefore  conclude  that  while  the  ordinances  and  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel  are  eternal  and  unchangeable,  the  circum- 
stances associated  with  the  people  in  every  dispensation  of  the 
gospel  are  constantly  changing.  The  emergencies  of  this 
situation  must  be  met.  not  by  the  dead  letter  of  ancient  Scrip- 
ture, but  by  present  inspiration  and  revelation  given  through 
living  oracles  of  God. 

"By  a  prophet  the  Lord  brought  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  and  by 
a  propnet  was  he  preserved."  (Hosea  xii:  13.)  The  proph 


400  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

ecies  of  the  Jewish  prophets  in  the  Old  Testament,  pointing  to 
the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  are  clear  and  explicit.  Read  the 
seventh  chapter  of  Isiaiah,  fourteenth  verse;  the  ninth  chapter 
and  sixth  verse;  the  fifty-third  chapter  of  the  same  book;  the 
fifth  chapter  of  Micah,  second  verse;  and  many  other  passages 
of  the  Old  Testament.  In  these  we  find  plain  predictions 
which  were  verified  in  the  birth,  ministry  and  crucifixion  of 
the  Savior,  which  were  read  by  the  Jews  but  not  understood 
by  them,  because  the  light  of  revelation  from  God  was  not  the 
source  of  their  information.  This  was  rather  the  wisdom  of 
their  own  learning,  which  led  them  to  reject  the  Messiah  and 
discard  the  great  message  of  life  which  He  brought  unto  them. 

As  there  were  many  plain  prophecies  relating  to  the  first 
coming  of  the  Savior  and  the  great  work  associated  with  His 
advent,  so  there  are  pointed  predictions  referring  to  His  second 
coming  'and  a  work  of  great  magnitude  to  precede  that  great 
event.  I  will  call  attention  to  a  few  as  proof  that  more  revela- 
tion will  be  given,  and  that  without  it  these  prophecies  could 
never  be  fulfilled:  "Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he 
shall  prepare  the  way  before  me;  and  the  Lord,  whom  ye  seek, 
shall  suddenly  come  to  His  temple,  even  the  Messenger  of  the 
covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in;  behold,  He  shall  come,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts.  But  who  may  abide  the  day  of  His  coming? 
and  who  shall  stand  when  He  appeareth?  for  He  is  like  a  re- 
finers' fire,  and  like  fuller's  sope.  *  *  *  And  He  shall 
purify  the  sons  of  Levi,"  etc.  (Mai.  iii:  1-3.)  This  prophecy 
must  refer  to  His  second  coming.  At  His  first  advent  He  did 
not  come  suddenly;  He  did  not  come  to  His  temple.  The 
house  of  the  Lord  had  become  "a  den  of  thieves."  He  did 
not  accept  it.  He  did  not  purify  the  sons  of  Levi.  It  was  a 
day  when  they  could  in  their  wickedness  abide  His  corning. 
"Who  shall  stand  when  He  appeareth"  is  clearly  a  condition 
when  He  shall  come  in  power  and  glory  to  take  vengeance  on 
the  ungodly. 

How  could  He  suddenly  come  to  His  temple  unless  a  temple 
should  bo  built  for  Him?  One  could  not  be  built  without  a 
chosen  people  to  build  it;  and  how  can  men  build  the  house  of 
the  Lord  without  revelation  to  tell  them  where,  when  an'd 
how  to  construct  such  a  holy  edifice?  In  Malachi.  chapter  iv, 
we  have  a  very  striking  prophecy  of  the  judgments  of  the  Al- 


KEVELATION.  401 

mighty  in  the  last  days,  before  the  coining  of  the  Lord.  In  the 
fifth,  verse  the  prophet  says,  "Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah 
the  Prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day 
of  the  Lord."  The  great  prophet  Elijah,  who  was  taken  to 
heaven  in  a  chariot  of  fire  without  tasting  death,  was  to  visit 
the  earth  in  the  last  days.  The  apostle  John,  when  upon  the 
isle  of  Patmos,  also  saw  the  hour  of  God's  judgment,  and 
uttered  the  following  prediction:  "And  I  saw  another  angel 
fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  having  the  everlasting  gospel  to 
preach  unto  them  that  dwell  on  the  e'arth,  and  to  every  nation, 
and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  Saying  with  a  loud  voice, 
Fear  God  and  give  glory  to  Him;  for  the  hour  of  His  judgment 
is  come:  and  worship  Him  that  made  heaven,  and  earth,  and 
the  sea,  and  the  fountains  of  waters."  (Rev.  xiv:  6-7.)  From 
this  prophecy  we  learn  that  an  angel  was  to  visit  the  earth  at 
a  later  period  than  when  John  uttered  the  above  words.  His 
mission  was  to  be  to  restore  the  everlasting  gospel,  a  gospel 
that  does  not  change;  a  gospel  of  apostles,  prophets,  gifts, 
visions,  revelations,  etc. 

"The  everlasting  gospel."  Why  should  an  angel  bring  the 
gospel  if  it  already  existed  upon  the  earth?  Why  should  the 
call  be  to  worship  the  God  who  made  the  heavens,  the  earth 
and  the  fountains  of  water,  etc.,  if  these  creations  were 
brought  into  existence  by  a  God  "without  body,  parts  or  pas- 
sions"? This  prophecy  of  John  agrees  with  Peter's  words 
recorded  in  the  third  chapter  of  Acts,  wherein  he  says:  "And 
He  shall  send  Jesus  Christ,  which  before  was  preached  unto 
you;  whom  the  heaven  must  receive  until  the  times  of  resti- 
tution of  all  things,  which  God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth 
of  all  His  holy  prophets  since  the  world  began."  (Acts  iii: 
20-22.)  By  this  we  learn  that  before  the  advent  of  the  Mes- 
siah to  reign  on  earth  there  should  be  a  grand  restitution, 
bringing  back  that  which  was  lost;  a  restoration  of  revela- 
tion, ministry  of  angels,  prophecies,  tongues,  healings,  mir- 
acles, etc.  Who  can  believe  the  Scriptures  and  yet  deny  the 
necessity  for  more  revelation?  The  quotations  here  given  are 
only  a  few  compared  with  many  that  can  be  made  bearing 
upon  the  subject.  They  all  show  that  direct  and  continuous 
revelation  from  God  is  an  absolute  necessity  to  the  welfare, 
progress  and  final  salvation  of  the  children  of  men. 
26 


FAITH. 

In  considering  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  it  will  not  be 
difficult  to  see  that  faith  occupies  the  first  place  in  the  cata- 
logue of  righteous  principle's  which,  as  a  whole,  go  to  consti- 
tute the  plan  of  salvation.  It  is  the  principle  existing  in  the 
human  soul  which  goes  before  all  action  and  leads  to  good 
works.  It  pleases  God  that  man  should  repent  of  all  sin  by 
ceasing  therefrom,  thus  accomplishing  a  reformation  of  life 
without  which  remission  of  sins  would  not  be  granted;  and  as 
repentance  and  good  works  are  pleasing  to  God,  we  must 
accept  of  faith  first,  for  Paul  says:  "But  without  faith  it  is 
impossible  to  please  Him:  for  he  that  cometh  to  God  must  be- 
lieve that  He  is,  and  that  He  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  dili- 
gently seek  Him."  (Heb.  xi:  6.) 

"Now  faith  is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  the  evi- 
dence of  things  not  seen,"  (Heb.  xi:  1.)  The  inspired  trans- 
lation by  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith  renders  the  word  "assur- 
anice"  instead  of  "substance,"  which  appears  more  consistent 
with  the  latter  clause  in  the  passage,  which  says,  "the  evi- 
dence of  things  not  seen,"  not  the  substance  itself,  for  that 
would  amount  to  knowledge  or  'the  actual  possession  of  the 
object  hoped  for.  This  assurance  of  things  hoped  for  must 
come  through  some  evidence,  either  of  a  character  which  can 
be  demonstrated  in  a  tangible  manner,  or  through  some  im- 
pression which  gives  an  assurance  to  the  mind  of  the  individual 
possessing  it,  if  to  no  other.  This  faith  prompts  to  action  all 
intelligent  beings.  Without  the  assurance  of  reaping,  the 
farmer  would  not  sow;  the  laborer  would  not  commence  his 
daily  task  unless  he  believed  he  would  accomplish  it;  and  so 
it  is  in  religious  matters. 

Upon  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  multitude  never  would  have 
appealed  to  the  apostles  to  know  what  they  should  do  to  be 
saved  unless  they  first  believed  in  God  and  in  His  Son,  Jesus 
Christ — so  recently  crucified  in  their  midst — and  also  in  the 
authority  of  the  apostles  to  teach  and  administer  in  the  ordi- 


FAITH.  403 

nances  of  eternal  life.  This  faith  was  based  upon  the  evi- 
dence presented  by  Peter  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  sealed 
upon  their  hearts  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  not  by  the  wisdom 
or  ability  of  man.  The  result  was  obedience,  and  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth  tor  themselves;  for  the  promise  is:  "If  any  man 
will  do  His  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be 
of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of  myself."  (St.  John  vii:  17.) 
If  Feter  had  been  an  impostor,  deceiving  the  people,  he  might, 
perchance,  have  persuaded  some  to  accept  his  theories;  but 
what  would  have  been  the  result?  The  evidence  being  false, 
the  faith  or  assurance  would  have  a  false  foundation  to  act 
upon,  and  disappointment  would  have  been  the  result.  When 
the  evidence  is  true,  the  faith  resulting  and  acted  upon  will 
bring  knowledge. 

When  Columbus  discovered  America,  and  the  use  of  gun- 
powder was  displayed  to  the  astonishment  and  fear  of  the 
Indians,  some  of  the  Europeans  told  the  natives  that  all  they 
had  to  do  was  to  procure  some  powder  and  sow  it  like  grain, 
and  it  would  grow.  The  poor  natives  believed  the  lie,  acted 
upon  their  belief,  and  disappointment  was  the  result,  to  the 
destruction  of  their  confidence  in  the  white  man.  This  illus- 
trates that  belief  may  be  built  upon  false  evidence,  and  no 
matter  how  sincere  the  believer,  the  laws  of  sincerity  cannot 
be  changed  to  vindicate  the  dishonesty  of  the  deceiver  nor  to 
avoid  disappointment  befalling  the  deceived.  Why  should  it 
be  otherwise  regarding  the  law  of  God?  Sincerity  is  not  evi- 
dence that  the  believer  will  obtain  the  good  for  which  he  seeks, 
for  if  his  religious  devotion  is  based  upon  his  confidence  in  the 
preaching  or  teaching  of  false  guides,  God  will  not  change  His 
laws  and  ordinances,  neither  will  He  acknowledge  the  authority 
of  impostors,  and  thus  become  accessory  to  the  deception,  in 
order  to  satisfy  those  who  allow  themselves  to  be  led  astray. 

It  is  a  maxim  of  skeptics  that  "We  doubt  all  things  in  order 
to  prove  all  things";  and,  thus  doubting,  they  reject  the  means 
which  God  has  designated  as  the  way  to  become  acquainted 
with  and  prove  for  themselves  the  truth  of  the  promise:  "If 
any  man  will  do  His  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine." 

The  history  of  the  world  proves  that  in  the  advancement 
made  in  science,  in  arts,  in  human  government,  the  leaders 
and  promoters  of  all  that  is  good,  in  the  majority  of  instances, 


404  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

have  been  believers  in  God;  and  their  faith  in  Him  and  the 
ultimate  success  of  their  enterprises  have  prompted  them  to 
action.  In  the  language  of  Paul  on  this  subject  of  faith: 
"By  faith  Noah,  being  warned  of  God  of  things  not  seen  as 
yet,  moved  with  fear,  prepared  an  ark  to  the  saving  of  his 
house;  by  the  which  he  condemned  the  world,  and  became  heir 
of  ihe  righteousness,  which  is  by  faith":  "By  faith  Abraham, 
when  he  was  called  to  go  out  inito  a  place  which  he  should  after 
receive  for  an  inheritance,  obeyed;  and  he  went  out,  not 
knowing  whither  he  went."  (Heb.  si:  7,  8.)  I  might  add 
numerous  testimonies  from  the  Scriptures  that  faith  is  the 
assurance  of  things  hoped  for,  and  the  principle  which  prompts 
to  action  all  intelligent  beings,  and  that  when  based  upon  the 
promises  of  the  Lord,  unmixed  with  the  theories  of  men,  and 
acted  upon,  it  has  never  failed  to  bring  knowledge  and  rest  to 
the  weary  mind  in  that  security  which  comes  from  a  pure 
knowledge  of  God. 

Having  shown  something  of  the  nature  of  faith  in  a  general 
way,  ;as  a  principle  existing  in  the  human  mind  and  as  direct- 
ing all  human  action,  whether  religious  or  secular,  let  us  now 
draw  the  line  of  distinction  between  faith  in  its  general  sense, 
and  faith  as  a  principle  of  power  as  enjoyed  and  exercised  by 
those  who  are  truly  the  people  of  God. 

.  Let  us  first  remember  that  it  is  one  thing  to  believe  in  the 
power  of  God  as  manifested  by  revelation,  prophecy,  healing, 
etc.,  when  presented  to  us  merely  as  the  events  of  history,  and 
altogether  another  thing  to  be  confronted  with  the  testimony 
of  living  apostles,  presenting  to  the  world  doctrines  that  are 
unpopular  and  with  which  the  cherished  creeds  of  men  have 
never  failed  to  conflict — apostles  who  ask  us  to  believe  them  to 
be  servants  of  God,  called  by  new  revelation,  and  testing  our 
faith  by  the  promise  that  "if  you  will  repent  and  be  baptized" 
with  honest  hearts,  you  shall  know  for  yourselves  the  truth, 
and  need  not  depend  upon  the  assertions  of  any  other  man  for 
your  knowledge  concerning  it.  It  is  an  undeniable  fact  of 
history  that  God  has  never  sent  a  prophet  to  warn  the  world 
but  He  found  thousands  professing  belief  in  the  dead  prophets, 
yet  ready  to  reject  and  slay  the  living.  It  cannot  be  said 
that  this  generation  is  an  exception,  for  the  religious  education 
they  receive  from  the  so-called  "Christian  pulpit  is  that 


FAITH.  405 

apostles  and  prophets,  together  with  the  ancient  gifts  and 
powers  of  the  gospel,  are  no  longer  needed;  and  if  any  come 
professing  the  ancient  apostleship,  ithey  may  reject  them  with- 
out investigation  as  "false  prophets."  They  apparently  forget 
that  it  would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  produce  a  coun- 
terfeit coin  unless  the  genuine  existed. 

In  speaking  of  faith  as  a  principle  of  power,  the  apostle  Paul 
said  to  the  Hebrews:  "Through  faith  we  understand  that  the 
worlds  were  framed  by  the  word  of  God,  so  that  things  which 
are  seen  were  not  made  of  things  which  do  appear.  *  *  * 
And  what  shall  I  more  say?  For  the  time  would  fail  me  to 
tell  of  Gideon,  and  of  Barak,  and  of  Samson,  and  of  Jeph- 
thae,  of  David  also,  and  Samuel,  and  of  the  prophets:  Who 
through  faith  subdued  kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  ob- 
tained promises,  stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  quenched  thn 
violence  of  fire,  escaped  the  edge  of  the  sword,  out  of  weak- 
ness were  made  strong,  waxed  valiant  in  fight,  turned  to  flight 
the  armies  of  the  aliens.  Women  received  their  dead 
raised  to  life  again,"  etc.  (Heb.  xi:  3,  32-35.)  Besides  these, 
innumerable  other  events  have  been  brought  about  through 
faith  exercised  by  men  having  authority  to  speak  and  act  in 
the  name  of  God.  Jesus  promised  that  "these  signs  shall 
follow  them  that  believe."  In  my  name  shall  they  cast  out 
devils,  they  shall  take  up  serpents,  and  if  *hey  drink  any 
deadly  thing,  it  shall  not  hurt  them;  they  shall  lay  hands  on 
the  sick  and  they  shall  recover." 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  characteristics  associated  with 
true  faith,  the  "faith  that  was  once  delivered  to  the  saints," 
and  so  much  in  striking  contrast  to  the  weak  yet  high-sounding 
pretensions  of  modern  professors  who  have  a  form  of  godliness, 
yet  deny  the  power  thereof. 

As  a  contrast  to  the  wisdom  and  learning  of  men,  we  are 
promised,  as  the  result  of  acting  upon  true  faith,  that  to  one 
is  given  the  word  of  wisdom,  to  another  knowledge.  Tongues, 
prophecy,  etc.,  all  are  characteristic  of  that  faith  which  eman- 
ates from  God.  These  gifts  are  not  merely  to  satisfy  curi- 
osity or  to  convince  skeptics. 

As  a  principle  of  eternal  truth  it  is  a  necessity  that  not  only 
must  the  administrator  have  faith,  but  the  one  who  is  the  re- 
cipient of  the  blessings  also  must  exercise  it  so  far  as  he  is 


406  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

capable.  Therefore,  as  a  rule,  when  Jesus  healed  the  sick 
and  opened  the  eyes  of  the  blind,  He  said  to  the  individual: 
"Go  thy  way,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole."  As  a  further 
testimony  of  this  He  told  unbelievers  when  they  sought  a  sign: 
"An  evil  and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign,  and 
there  shall  no  sign  be  given  to  it,  but  the  sign  of  the  prophet 
Jonas;  for  as  Jonas  was  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the 
whale/' s  belly,  so  shall  the  Son  of  Man  be  three  days  and  three 
nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth."  (Matt,  xii:  39,  40.)  Yet 
be  it  remembered  that  this  sign  of  Christ's  three  days'  rest  in 
the  tomb  was  not  given  to  convince  skeptics,  for  it  was  an 
event  ordained  of  God  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  in 
the  plan  of  human  redemption,  and  would  have  occurred  if  all 
the  world  had  received  Him  gladly.  But  they  did  mot  receive 
Him  even  when  He  was  resurrected,  for  the  same  class  who 
sought  a  sign  circulated  the  fabrication  that  the  body  of  Christ 
was  not  risen  from  the  dead,  but  that  His  disciples  had  come 
in  the  night  and  stolen  Him  away. 

There  are  sign-seekers  today,  even  among  those  who  profess 
Christ,  and  may  wo  not  say  the  same  of  them  as  Jesus  said  of 
the  ancient  sign-seekers,  from  the  fact  that  what  was  true 
then  is  true  now,  and  what  is  true  of  a  generation  is  true  of 
the  individuals  which  compose  it.  Further,  the  Savior  said 
to  His  apostles  when  they  failed  to  cast  out  the  devils  and 
sought  Him  to  know  the  reason:  "Because  of  your  unbelief, 
for  verilj  I  say  unto  you,  If  ye  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mus- 
tard seed,  ye  shall  say  nnto  this  mountain,  'Remove  hence  to 
yonder  place,'  and  it  shall  remove:  and  nothing  shall  be  im- 
possible unto  you."  (Matt,  xvii:  20.) 

To  these  quotations  might  be  added  many  others,  but  this 
will  suffice  to  show  the  effects  of  faith,  that  it  is  a  principle  of 
power.  We  ask,  has  God  changed?  Is  not  faith,  being  a 
principle  emanating  from  Deity,  as  unchangeable  as  God  Him- 
self? Who,  professing  to  believe  in  Christ,  will  say,  if  we 
believe  and  are  baptized  by  rightful  authority  in  this  age,  that 
Jesus  will  fail  in  His  part  of  the  contract  to  bestow  the  prom- 
ised blessings  V 

In  view  of  all  that  is  written  in  the  Bible  concerning  this 
true  faith  and  the  effects  which  flow  therefrom,  and  the  re- 


FAITH.  407 

verse  of  that  pure  faith  of  the  Bible  which  characterizes  the 
"Christianity''  of  today,  is  it  wonderful  that  the  Savior  ex- 
claimed: "When  the  Son  of  Man  cometh,  shall  He  find  faith 
on  earth?"  (Luke  xviii:  8.) 


REPENTANCE. 

Repentance  follows  faith  as  a  natural  sequence ;  for  when 
the  human  mind  has  sufficient  faith  in  God,  based  upon  the 
perfection  of  His  attributes,  to  desire  His  guidance  and  a  final 
return  to  His  presence,  the  thought  is  foremost  that  no  un- 
clean thing  can  enter  his  presence.  Repentance  from  all  sin, 
not  merely  an  expression  of  sorrow  but  a  discontinuance  of  sin- 
ful practices,  amounting  to  a  reformation'  of  life,  therefore  sug- 
gests itself  as  a  matter  of  course".  This  philosophical  view  of  the 
subject  is  in  perfect  accord  with  Holy  Writ.  Hence  it  was, 
upon  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  sin-convicted  multitude 
cried  out:  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?"  that  Peter 
commanded  them  to  repent  as  the  first  step  following  the  man- 
ifestation of  their  faith  in  Christ  and  His  atonement.  (Acts 
ii:  37.) 

That  repentance  is  an  indispensable1  condition  of  salvation 
has  been  taught  in  all  ages  of  the  world  by  men  of  God,  the  only 
exception  being  that  which  applies  to  all  other  requirements  of 
the  Gospel.  That  exception  is  in  the  case  of  persons  incapable 
of  knowing  good  from  evil,  such  as  children  who  cannot  believe, 
or  disbelieve,  and  are  exempt  from  the  law  until  they  arrive  at 
the  years  of  accountability.  Hence  the"  saying  of  the  Savior : 
"Suffer  little  children,  and  forbid  them  not,  to  come  unto  me, 
for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  (Matt.  xix:14.) 

Ezekiel  said  to  ancient  Israel,  in  his  18th  chapter  and  30th 
verse,  "Repent  and  turn  yourselves  from  all  your  transgres- 
sions, so  iniquity  shall  not  be  your  ruin."  Israel  did  not  repent 
as  a  nation,  and  their  sad  history  proves  that  iniquity  caused 
their  ruin.  The  olive  branch  of  peace  was  offered  them  without 
money  and  without  price.  They  rejected  the  means  of  escape, 
and  in  consequence  they  have  verified  the  words  of  Moses,  their 
great  lawgiver:  "And  I  will  scatter  you  among  the  heathen 
and  will  draw  out  a  sword  after  you;  and  your  land  shall  be 
desolate  and  your  cities  waste."  (Lev.  xxvi:  33.) 

It  was  supposed  by  those  in  Palestine  that  the  Galileans,  whose 


REPENTANCE'.  409 

blood  Pilate  had  mingled  with  the  sacrifices,  were  greater  sin- 
ners than  others  because  such  agonies  had  come  upon  the'm. 
''And  Jesus?  answering  said  unto  them,  'Suppose  ye  that  these 
Galileans  were  sinners  above  all  the  Galileans,  because1  they 
suffered  such  things?  I  tell  you  nay,  but  except  ye  repent,  ye 
shall  all  likewise  perish.'  "  The  foregoing  contains  the  divine 
lesson  that  suffering  is  not  a  substitute  for  repentance :  that 
while  He  did  not  justify  the  agonies  brought  upon  them  by  per- 
secution, He  did  not  intimate  that  the  suffering  would  be*  ac- 
ceptable instead  of  repentance,  or  that  these  sufferings  were  any 
evidnce  of  the  sins  of  the  sufferers  as  to  the  height  or  depth 
of  their  transgressions.  The  weight  of  responsibility  is  meas- 
ured either  by  the  light  men  possess  or  the  light  which  oppor- 
tunities afford  them  to  possess.  As  Paul  said  to  the*  Athenians 
(Acts  xvii:  30.),  "And  the  times  of  this  ignorance  God  winked 
at,  but  now  commandeth  all  men  everywhere  to  repent";  and 
again  the  Savior  enunciated  this  doctrine:  "And  this  is  the  con- 
demnation that  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and  men  loved 
darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds  were  evil."  (St. 
John  iii:  19.) 

No  matter  how  strict  the  individual  may  be  in  living  a  life 
of  moral  rectitude,  it  is  very  plainly  taught  in  the  Scriptures 
that  rejecting  further  light  from  God  constitutes  a  sin.  We" 
cite  the  case  of  the  young  man  told  of  in  Matthew,  chapter  19, 
who  came  to  the  Savior  for  instructions,  but  who,  when  he  was 
commanded  by  the  Redeemer  to  sell  all  that  he"  had,  give  to  the 
poor,  and  follow  Him,  went  away  sorrowful,  rejecting  the  in- 
junction of  the  Savior,  and  yet  he  had  kept  the  commandments 
from  his  youth  up,  and  probably  was  as  righteous  as  any  mod- 
ern Christians,  who,  if  commanded  by  the  Savior  to  give  their 
possesions  to  the  poor,  would  go  away  sorrowful.  There  were 
"devout"  people  assembled  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  yet 
Peter  made  no  exception  when  he  commanded  the  multitude  to 
repent.  If  they  had  done  the  best  they  could  previously  with 
the  light  they  had,  greater  light  had  come  to  them  and  they 
•must  receive  it  or  be  condemned. 

This  truth  applies  to  every  gospel  dispensation,  not  excepting 
the  "dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times,"  the  greatest  of  all. 
God  promised  to  send  a  holy  angel  and  make  a  restitution  of  all 
things  as  predicted  by  the  ancient  prophets,  preceding  the"  sec- 


410  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

ond  advent  of  the  Messiah.  The  light  has  come.  A  new  dispen- 
sation has  been  ushered  in.  The  Everlasting  Gospel  has  been 
restored  with  its  ancient  gifts  and  blessings,  and  "God  com- 
mandeth  all  men  everywhere  to  repent,"  whether  they  be  so- 
called  Christians  or  infidels.  Repentance  is  a  principle  and  not 
merely  an  expression  of  penitent  grief.  It  involves1,  as  before 
stated,  a  reformation  of  life.  In  II  Cor,  vii  :9,10,  Paul  says : 
"Now  I  rejoice,  not  that  ye  were  made  sorry,  but  that  ye  sor- 
rowed to  repentance.  *  *  *  For  godly  sorrow  worketh  re- 
pentance to  salvation  not  to  be  repented  of,  but  the  sorrow  of 
the  world  worketh  death."  The  sorrow  of  the  world  may  be 
illustrated  by  the  conduct  of  the  inebriate,  wha,  when  intox- 
icated, commits  acts  of  violence  which  mantle  his  brow  with 
shame  and  fill  him  with  remorse  in  his  sober  moments.  He  ex- 
presses sorrow,  perhaps  weeps  in  his  agony,  but  again  gives 
away  to  the  tempter  and  repeats  his  acts  of  dishonor  instead  of 
"fleeing  temptation."  This  kind  of  sorrow  does1  not  work  re- 
pentance to  salvation.  We  find  religious  people  sorrowing  and 
sometimes  confessing  their  sins,  only  to  repeat  sin.  This  is  the 
sorrow  of  the  world  and  needs  to  be*  repented  of  because  it  sav- 
ors so  much  of  hypocrisy,  and  consequently  worketh  death."  On 
the  contrary,  true  repentance  consists,  not  in  the  outward  ex- 
pression of  grief,  but  in  forsaking  sin.  "Let  the  wicked  forsake 
his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts:  and  let  him  re- 
turn unto  the  Lord,  and  He  will  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to 
our  God,  for  He  will  abundantly  pardon."  (Isa.  Iv:  7.)  Repent- 
ance is  required  not  only  of  the  evil  deed,  but  of  the  unrighteous 
thought.  Every  wicked  deed  is  first  conceived  in  the  mind, 
hence  the  need  of  casting  away  the  evil  thought  before  it  ger- 
minates into  actual  crime,  which  leads  to  prison,  the  gallows 
and  to  spiritual  death.  Of  the  ruin  caused  by  the  talented,  but 
corrupt  Aaron  Burr  it  was  truly  said :  "His  brain  conceived  it, 
his  hand  brought  it  into  action." 

Let  us  now  examine  a  passage  of  Scripture  which  is  fre- 
quently quoted  to  substantiate  the  erroneous  doctrine  that  God 
is  pleased  to  save  men  in  their  sins,  or  that  death-bed  repent- 
ance is  all-sufficient.  The  passage  is  found  in  Luke  xxiii  :42,  43. 
and  reads  thus:  "And  he  (the  penitent  malefactor)  said  unto 
Jesus,  'Lord,  remember  me  when  Thou  comest  into  Thy  king- 
dom.' And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  'Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  today 


REPENTANCE.  411 

shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise.'  "  From  this  statement 
thousands  in  the  Christian  world  have  taken  it  for  granted 
that  the  thief  on  the  cross  received  full  and  complete  salvation. 
With  this  unwarranted  perversion  of  a  sacred  passage,  the  min- 
ister has  taught  the  murderer  in  the  felon's  cell  to  confess  Christ 
and  all  would  be  well  with  him;  and  as  the  hangman,  drew  the 
bolt  and  let  the  culprit  swing  into  eternity,  the  minister  has 
stood  close  by  and  said,  "The  Lord  Jesus  receive  thy  soul."  On 
the  other  hand,  the  poor  victim  of  the  assassin  has  been  cut  off 
without  time  to  confess  Christ,  and  the  same  doctrine  which 
wafts  the  murderer  to  the"  courts  of  glory  consigns  the  victim  to 
the  flames  of  hell.  Is  it  possible  that  Christ  ever  taught  such  a 
heinous  doctrine?  A  doctrine  so  inconsistent,  so  revolting  to 
reason,  so  repugnant  to  justice !  We  amswer  emphatically 
"No,"  nor  did  He"  utter  a  syllable  from  which  such  an  inference 
can  be  drawn  or  establish  the  idea  that  the  malefactor  went  to 
heaven.  The  question  is,  then,  where  did  he  go?  If  not  to 
heaven,  then  the  paradise  named  and  heaven  are  two  different 
places.  Let  the  Scriptures  answer  for  themselves.  Three  days 
after  the  crucifixion  the  Savior  came  forth  a  resurrected  being, 
and  as  Mary  met  Him  at  the  tomb,  He  said  to  her,  "Touch  me 
not,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my  Father."  Thus  we  have 
from  His  own  lips,  in  which  there  was  never  guile",  that  He  had 
not  ascended  to  the  Father ;  and  if  He  had  not,  neither  had  the 
thief.  If  no  further  light  than  this  could  be  found  in  the  sacred 
volume,  this  would  be  sufficient  to  show  that  the"  malefactor 
did  not  go  to  heaven,  for  where  Jesus  went  the  thief  went,  for 
that  was  the  promise.  Where,  then,  did  the  Lord  go?  Turn  to 
I  Peter  iii:  18-21,  and  the  question  is  answered:  "For  Christ 
also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  that  He 
might  bring  us  to  God,  being  put  to  death  in  the  flesh  but 
quickened  by  the  Spirit:  By  which  also  He  went  and  preached 
unto  the  spirits  in  prison;  Which  sometimes  were  disobedient 
when  once  the  long  suffering  of  God  waited  in  the  days  of 
Noah." 

This)  makes  it  plain  that  the  paradise  referred  to  was  the 
prison  house,  to  which  place  Jesus  went  and  opened  up  a  dis- 
pensation of  the  Gospel  to  the  dead.  The  next  chapter,  6th 
verse,  says:  "For  for  this  cause  was  the  Gospel  preached  also 
to  them  that  are  dead,  that  they  might  be  judged  according  to 


412  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

men  in  the  flesh,  but  live  according  to  God  in  the  spirit."  The 
thief  therefore  went  to  a  place  of  confinement  to  remain  until 
the  justice  of  God  should  be  satisfied  and  mercy  step  in  and 
claim  her  own.  The  difference  between  the  penitent  malefactor, 
who  appears  to  have*  repented  before  death,  and  the  antidilu- 
vians  was  that  the  former  immediately  went  to  a  place  where 
Christ  would  present  to  him  the  plan  of  life",  that  day,  while  the 
latter  had  waited  hundreds  of  years  for  that  privilege.  This 
shows  that  repentence  brings  its  blessings  even  upon  the  death- 
straight  to  the  abode  of  the  Father  and  remained  there  in  glory, 
bed;  but  to  say  that,  after  a  life  of  sin,  the  malefactor  went 
is  in  conflict  with  the  teachings  of  Christ  and  Peter.  The 
statements  of  Peter  relative1  to  the  mission  of  Christ  to  the 
spirits  in  prison  throws  light  upon  the  saying  of  the  Savior  in 
St.  John  v:  25,  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  the  hour  is  com- 
ing and  now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son 
of  God,  and  they  that  hear  shall  live." 

Thus  we  see"  the  privileges  of  the  penitent  malefactor.  He 
went  to  the  prison  house  and  heard  the  Gospel,  but  how  long 
he  remained  there  before  receiving  all  the  saving  benefits  of  the 
Gospel,  we  are  not  told.  One  thing  is  certain — he  did  not  come 
back  with  the  Messiah,  nor  have  we  ever  heard  of  him  sitting 
down  with  Christ  on  the  right  hand  of  the  Father.  The  Scrip- 
ture being  true  which  says,  "The  murderer  hath  not  eternal 
life  abiding  in  him,"  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the"  prayers  of  all  the 
ministers  on  earth  cannot  carry  the  souls  of  the  assassin  to  the 
presence  and  glory  of  God.  As  there  are  different  degrees  of 
glory,  so  are  there  various  grade's  of  crimes  to  which  are  at- 
tached the  different  degrees  of  punishment,  all  of  which  clearly 
maintain  the  justice  and  mercy  of  God." 

In  Galatians  v:  19-21,  we  read  as  follows:  "Now  the  works 
of  the  flesh  are  manifest,  which  are  these:  adultery,  fornica- 
tion, uncleanness,  lasciviousness,  Idolatry,  witchcraft,  hatred, 
variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife,  seditions,  heresies,  Bnvy- 
ings,  murders,  drunkenness,  revellings,  and  such  like;  of  the 
which  I  tell  you  before,  as  I  have  also  told  you  in  time  past, 
that  they  which  do  such  things  shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom 
of  God." 

In  conclusion,  as  a  true  definition  of  repentance,  let  us  quote 
the  words  of  Paul  to  the  Ephesians,  iv:  25,  30:  "Wherefore 


REPENTANCE.  413 

putting  away  lying  speak  every  man  truth  with  his  neighbor. 
*  *  *  Be  ye  angry  and  sin  not:  let  not  the  sun  go  down 
upon  your  wrath.  Neither  give  place  to  the  devil.  Let  him 
that  stole,  steal  no  more.  *  *  *  Let  no  corrupt  communica- 
tion proceed  out  of  your  mouth.  *  *  *"  This  is  the  only  re- 
pentance taught  in  Holy  Writ,  and  simply  means  to  forsake  all 
sin  and  accomplish  a  reformation  of  life. 


BAPTISM. 

We  come  now  to  considering  the  necessity  of  the  ordinance 
of  baptism.  When  men  have  repented  of  their  sins  it  is 
natural  for  them  to  desire  a  forgiveness  of  those  sins.  How 
shall  this  boon  be  obtained?  That  repentance  alone  does  not 
blot  out  the  sins  of  the  past  may  be  illustrated  in  part  by  a 
comparison  between  the  temporal  and  the  spiritual.  A  man 
acquires  a  debt  by  purchasing  goods  on  credit,  and  finding  it  a 
ruinous  policy,  resolves,  for  the  future,  to  pay  as  he  goes. 
This  changes  his  course  and  constitutes  in  his  business  life  a 
reformation,  but  it  does  not .  pay  the  debt  already  incurred. 
He  must  liquidate  the  obligation,  or  be  forgiven  the  debt  by 
the  creditor.  Some  may  say  that  this  is  the  difference  be- 
tween the  earthly  transaction  of  men  and  the  dealings  of  God 
with  His  children.  God  forgives,  it  is  true,  but  every  blessing 
is  predicated  upon  a  condition,  and  the  condition  is  laid  down 
by  the  Lord;  hence  it  is  written  in  Mark  i:  4:  "John  did 
baptize  in  the  wilderness  and  preach  the  baptism  of  repentance 
for  the  remission  of  sins."  From  this  scripture  it  is  evident 
that  baptism  is  to  follow  repentance,  and  that  at  least  one 
object  of  baptism  is  the  remission  of  sins. 

Let  us  now  examine  some  statements  of  Holy  Writ  which 
point  out  clearly  the  necessity  of  this  ordinance.  "Then 
cometh  Jesus  from  Gallilee  to  Jordan  unto  John  to  be  bap- 
tized of  him.  But  John  forbade  Him,  saying,  'I  have  need 
to  be  baptized  of  Thee,  and  comest  Thou  to  me?'  And  Jesus, 
answering,  said  unto  him,  'Suffer  it  to  be  so  now;  for  thus  it 
becometh  us  to  fulfill  all  righteousness.'  Then  he  suffered 
Him."  (Matt,  iii:  13-15.)  Every  thoughtful,  God-fearing 
person  must  be  impressed  with  the  feeling  that  if  it  was  essen- 
tial for  the  "Only  Begotten  of  the  Father,"  "who  is  full  of 
grace  and  truth,"  to  be  baptized,  none  can  be  exempt  who  have 
arrived  at  the  years  of  accountability.  It  appears  also  from 
the  language  used  in  the  quotation  that  without  being  bap- 
tized he  could  not  fulfill  "all  righteousness."  After  teaching 


BAPTISM.  415 

His  disciples  for  three  years,  being  crucified  and  risen  from 
the  dead,  He  gave  to  them  this  commission:  "Go  ye  into  all 
the  world  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that 
belie veth  and  is  baptized  s'ball  be  saved;  but  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  damned."  (Mark  xvi  :  15,  16.)  Also  in  Matthew 
xxviii:  19:  "Go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost";  and  in  Luke  xxiv:  45-47:  "Then  opened  He 
their  understanding  that  they  might  understand  the  Scrip- 
tures, And  said  unto  them,  Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  be- 
hooved Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the  dead  the  third 
day;  And  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should  be 
preached  in  His  name  among  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusa- 
lem." In  the  latter  quotation  the  word  baptism  is  not  used, 
but  the  same  writer  says  in  Luke  iii:3,  regarding  the  mission 
of  John:  "And  he  came  into  all  the  country  about  Jordan, 
preaching  the  baptism  of  repentance  for  the  remission  of  sins," 
thus  enunciating  the  doctrine  that  remission  of  sins  is  obtained 
through  baptism. 

The  same  writer  gives  us  the  following  (Luke  vii:  29,  30): 
"And  all  the  people  that  heard  him,  and  the  publicans,  justified 
God,  being  baptized  with  the  baptism  of  John.  But  the 
Pharisees  and  lawyers  rejected  the  counsel  of  God  against 
themselves,  being  not  baptized  of  Him."  From  this  it  is 
manifested  that  by  receiving  baptism  they  honored  and  obeyed 
God,  and  that  the  rejection  of  this  simple  yet  divine  institution 
amounted  to  rejecting  the  counsel  of  God,  with  all  the  terrible 
consequences  attendant  upon  such  disobedience. 

We  read  in  the  eighth  chapter  of  Acts  that  Philip  baptized 
the  Samaritans  and  the  Ethiopian.  In  the  same  book  is  re- 
lated the  baptism  of  Saul,  of  Lydia,  of  the  Philippian  jailor, 
and  of  Cornelius.  It  is  not  necessary  to  multiply  quotations 
to  show  that  baptism  was  taught  and  practiced  all  through  the 
apostolic  dispensation,  as  being  essential  to  salvation.  As  a 
direct  statement  of  Jesus  Himself,  to  close  this  part  of  the 
subject,  we  luote  His  words  to  Nicodemus,  !St.  John  iii:  5: 
"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man  be  born  of  water 
and  of  the  spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 
The  birth  of  the  water  can  only  be  accomplished  by  baptism, 
and  if  an  accountable  being  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 


416  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTKINE. 

God  without  baptism,  then  that  ordinance  must  be  essential  to 
salvation. 

Let  us  next  consider  the  object  of  this  sacred  rite.  It  is 
evident  that  inasmuch  as  a  man  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God  without  the  baptism  of  water,  then  his  sins  must  neces- 
sarily be  remitted  through  faith,  repentance  'and  baptism  from 
the  fact  that  "no  unclean  person  *  *  *  hath  any  inheri- 
tance in  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  of  God." 

In  Mark  i:4  and  Luke  iii:3  we  read  that  "John  did  baptize 
in  the  wilderness  and  preached  the  baptism  of  repentance  for 
the  remission  of  sins/'  On  the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the 
mighty  power  of  God  rested  upon  the  apostles  and  the  Spirit 
bore  witness  to  the  multitude  that  they  were  in  sin,  notwith- 
standing their  devoutness,  they  cried  out,  "Men  and  brethren, 
what  shall  we  do?"  To  this  Peter  answered,  "Repent  and  be 
baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
remission  of  sins."  (Acts  ii:  38.) 

Paul  narrates  before  King  Agrippa  his  conversion,  in  Acts 
xxii:  16,  and  says  that  Ananias,  to  whom  he  had  been  com- 
manded to  'apply,  said:  "And  now,  why  tarriest  thou?  Arise 
and  be  baptized  and  wash  away  thy  sins,  calling  on  the  name 
of  the  Lord."  The  foregoing  quotations  will  suffice  to  show 
that  God  instituted  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins,  but  from 
other  passages  already  quoted.  Mark  i:  4,  also  xvi:  15-16,  and 
the  account  of  Simon,  the  sorcerer,  in  the  eighth  chapter  of 
Acts,  it  is  very  evident  that  the  result— forgiveness— is  not 
secured  unless  baptism  is  accompanied  on  the  part  of  the  can- 
didate by  faith  and  a  genuine  repentance  in  turning  aside  from 
sin.  Otherwise  there  would  be  the  solemn  mockery  of  ad- 
ministering a  sacred  ordinance  to  a  hypocrite.  Hence  the 
apostles  said  <to  Simon,  "Thy  money  perish  with  thee  because 
thou  hast  thought  that  the  gift  of  God  may  be  purchased  with 
money."  (Acts  viii:  20.)  Notwithstanding  he  had  been  bap- 
tized he  was  still  in  his  sins,  because  his  heart  was  not  pure, 
and  he  had  not  repented.  For  this  reason  the  apostles  said 
to  him,  "Repent  therefore  of  this  wickedness.  *  *  *  For  I 
perceive  that  thou  art  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  in  the  bond 
of  iniquity."  (Acts  viii:  22-23.)  This  should  be  a  warning  to 
those  modern  professors  whose  religion  is  in  many  instances  a 
cloak,  hidden  beneath  which  is  the  depraved  heart  that  gar- 


BAPTISM.  417 

nishes  the  sepulchres  of  the  dead  prophets  but  is  ready  to  slay 
the  living  ones. 

We  now  come  to  that  part  of  the  subject  which  formerly 
caused  so  much  dissension  among  the  Christian  sects,  but 
which  latterly  is  smoothed  over  with  the  assertion  that  it 
makes  no  difference  which  mode — sprinkling,  pouring,  or  im- 
mersion—is used;  "either  will  do,"  "let  the  candidate  take  his 
choice;  it  is  immaterial."  To  these  unwarranted  assertions 
we  reply:  First,  that  if  either  mode  will  do,  none  will  do, 
for  still  other  forms  may  be  added  by  the  whims  of  men. 
Christ  established  but  one  true  mode,  "One  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism"  and  if  one  is  right,  the  others  are  wrong.  This 
is  a  plain  proposition.  Again,  the  dissension  and  conflict  on 
this  point  is  proof  against  the  inspiration  of  the  sectarian 
world,  if  they  have  any,  for  the  reason  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
will  not  lie  nor  contradict  itself.  If,  therefore,  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  teaches  me  that  immersion  is  right,  it  will  not  teach 
another  sprinkling,  and  yet  another  pouring.  This  division, 
then,  is  because  men  are  guided  by  opinion  and  preference 
and  not  by  the  spirit  of  revelation  from  God,  which  guides 
into  all  truth  and  brings  those  who  possess  it  to  a  unity  of 
faith. 

Now  as  concerning  the  baptism  of  Jesus,  who  is  the  pat- 
tern, we  have  Matt,  iii:  16,  which  says,  "And  Jesus  when  He 
was  baptized  went  up  straightway  out  of  the  water."  It  is 
not  likely  that  John  would  be  baptizing  in  Jordan  and  that 
Jesus  would  have  gone  down  into  the  water  if  anything  less 
than  immersion  would  have  fulfilled  the  law.  This  also  agrees 
with  the  account  of  the  Ethiopian's  baptism  by  Philip  (Acts 
viii :  38)  :  "And  they  went  down  both  into  the  water,  loth 
Philip  and  the  eunuch,  and  he  baptized  him."  As  making  still 
plainer  this  using  a  river  of  water  and  going  "down  into  the 
water"  to  receive  the  sacred  rite,  we  quote  from  St.  John  iii :  23 : 
"And  John  also  was  baptizing  in  Enon,  near  to  Salim,  because 
there  was  much  water  there."  A  statement  so  plain  as  the 
foregoing  needs  no  comment.  It  speaks  for  itself.  He  was 
baptizing  not  only  in  Enon,  but  at  a  certain  point  in  the 
stream  "because  there  was  much  water  there."  Such  a  rea- 
son could  not  have  been  given  if  sprinkling  or  pouring  had  been 
a  proper  mode. 
27 


418  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

We  refer  further  to  the  New  Testament  statements  where 
not  only  the  mode  of  baptism  is  indicated  by  the  language,  but 
the  fact  that  baptism  sym'bolizes  the  birth  into  the  world,  the 
death,  and  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  To  Nicodemus, 
Jesus  said:  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  thee,  except  a  man  be 
born  of  water,  and  of  the  spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  God."  (St.  John  iii:  5.)  When  man  comes  forth  into 
the  world,  he  is  born  or  brought  out  from  the  watery  element, 
being  first  buried  in  it.  and  this  constitutes  his  birth.  To  be 
"'born  of  water"  as  a  sacred  ordinance  would  be  impossible  if 
the  lite  of  sprinkling  or  pouring  be  the  mode  employed.  Only 
complete  immersion  will  answer  the  ordinance  indicated  in  the 
language  of  Jesus  to  Nicodemus. 

Paul  also  said  to  the  Romans,  "Know  ye  not  that  so  many 
of  us  as  were  baptized  into  Jesus  Christ  were  baptized  into 
His  death?  Therefore  we  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism 
into  death;  that  like  as  Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by 
the  glory  of  the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should  walk  in  newness 
of  life.  For  if  we  have  been  planted  together  in  the  likeness  of 
His  death,  we  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of  His  resurrec- 
tion." (Rom.  vi:  3-5.)  The  foregoing  shows  that  baptism  is 
a  likeness  of  burial.  When  the  body  is  laid  lifeless  in  the 
tomb  it  is  covered  completely;  it  is  not  left  partly  buried  and 
partly  uncovered;  and  as  the  body  comes  forth  in  the  resur- 
rection, immortal,  and  free  from  the  conditions  of  mortality, 
thus  walking  in  "newness  of  life,"  so  by  the  remission  of  sins 
through  faith,  repentance  and  baptism,  the  obedient  candidate 
comes  forth  free  from  sin,  and  walks  in  a  new  life,  prepared 
for  the  birth  of  the  spirit,  thus  symbolizing  in  beautiful  simi- 
larity the  death  and  resurrection  of  the  body.  This  is  still 
farther  emphasized  by  the  language,  "For  if  we  have  been 
planted,"  etc.,  thus  using  a  word  which  implies  a  complete 
burial  as  in  planting  seeds  in  the  earth. 

Again,  we  quote  the  words  of  Paul  to  the  Colossians,  ii:  12: 
"Buried  with  Him  in  baptism,  wherein  also  ye  are  risen  with 
Him  through  the  faith  of  the  operation  of  God,  who  hath 
raised  Him  from  the  dead."  This  corresponds  with  the  state- 
ment before  quoted  from  Romans,  and  also  the  teachings  of 
Christ  to  Nicodemus. 


BAPTISM.  419 

From  the  Scriptures  already  quoted  on  the  necessity,  object 
and  mode  of  baptism,  we  may  deduce  the  conclusion  that  the 
ordinance  established  to  follow  and  go  with  faith  and  repent- 
ance, and  which  constitues  the  third  principle  of  the  gospel,  is 
baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins. 


RECEPTION  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

Having  shown  that  faith,  repentance  and  baptism  are  essen- 
tial to  the  remission  of  sins,  let  us  now  consider  the  reception  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  That  this  should  follow,  and  not  precede,  the 
birth  of  the  water  must  be  evident  to  every  thoughtful  person. 
It  is  clear  that  a  man  is  not  prepared  for  the  indwelling 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  unless  he  repents  of  his  sins  and  becomes 
freed  from  them  by  obedience  to  the  laws  of  God.  Some  people 
may  contend  that,  because  Jesois  stated  that  man  must  be  born 
again,  in  order  to  see  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  such  a  birth  pre- 
cedes baptism,  and  is  synonymous  with  the  birth  of  the  Spirit 
mentioned  by  the  Savior  in  the  third  chapter  of  St.  John ;  but 
being  born  again,  in  order  to  see  the  kingdom,  evidently  shows 
that  a  man  must  have  some"  light  above  the  natural  senses,  suf- 
ficient of  the  light  of  Christ  to  make  him  see  the  kingdom  of 
Goa.  in  otner  words,  to  secure,  and  we  may  say,  consistently 
constitute  his  conversion. 

This  light  which  guides  him  to  the  truth  dees  not,  however, 
forego  the  absolute"  necessity  of  obeying  the  laws  and  ordi- 
nances of  the  Gospel.  As  proof  of  this  we  cite  the  conversion  of 
Paul.  He  received  a  personal  manifestation  of  the  Savior's 
power,  even  hearing  his  voice  and  witnessing  a  light  from 
heaven.  Notwithstanding  this,  Jesus  commanded  him  to  go  to 
Ananias,  an  authorized  servant  of  Christ,  who  should  instruct 
him  regarding  his  salvation.  He  was  therefore  required  to  be 
born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit.  Cornelius,  also,  as  related  in 
the  tenth  chapter  of  Acts,  saw  an  angel  and  received  a  manifes- 
tation of  the  Holy  Ghost  previous  to  baptism.  Yet  both  men 
were  required  to  obey  the  ordinances  e'njoined  by  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  If  they  rejected  these  requirements,  undoubtedly  the 
light  they  had  received  would  have  departed  from  them  and  this 
would  have  added  to  their  condemnation. 

The  historical  fact  of  the  laying  on  of  hands  for  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  not,  in  every  instance,  recorded  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  it  is  not  necessary  that  it  should  be,  in  order  to 


RECEPTION   OF   THE   HOLY   SPIRIT.  421 

prove  that  the  ordinance  was  established  by  the  Messiah.  In 
the  matter  of  baptism  He  said  to  John,  "Suffer  it  to  be  so  now, 
for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfill  all  righteousness."  He  made 
no  exception  of  Himself,  but  gave  the  example  by  his  own  obedi- 
ence. How  can  others  be  excused?  To  show  that  the  laying  on 
of  hands  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  by  those  having  divine 
authority  was  practiced  by  the  ancient  apostles,  we  refer  to 
Acts  viii:  14,  17:  "Now,  when  the  apostles  which  were  at  Jeru- 
salem heard  that  Samaria  had  received  the  word  of  God,  they 
sent  unto  them  Peter  and  John,  who,  when  thefy  were  come 
down,  prayed  for  them,  that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Ghost: 
(for  as  yet  He  was  fallen  upon  none  of  them:  only  they  were 
baptised  in  the"  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.)  Then  laid  they  their 
hands  on  them  and  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost." 

Philip  did  not  have  the  authority  to  lay  on  hands  for  this 
gift,  hence  Peter  and  John  were  sent  from  Jerusalem  for  the 
express  purpose1  of  performing  this  higher  ordinance  of  the 
Gospel.  In  the  nineteenth  chapter  of  Acts  is  an  account  of 
Paul's  visit  to  the  city  of  Ephesus,  where  he  found  about  twelve 
men  who  claimed  to  have  received  the  same1  form  of  baptism 
as  administered  by  John  the  Baptist.  But  in  answer  to  Paul's 
question,  "Have  ye  received  the  Holy  Ghost  since  ye  believed?" 
they  told  him  they  had  not  so  much  as  heard  of  it,  and  his  ac- 
tion in  re-baptizing  them  would  strongly  indicate  that  some 
imposter  had  counterfeited  in  form  the  true  baptism.  This 
being  performed  without  legitimate  authority,  their  sins  were 
not  remitted,  and  they  were  not  in  a  condition  to  receive"  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Hence  Paul  baptized  them;  and  the  sixth  verse 
says :  And  when  Paul  had  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  the  Holy 
Ghost  came  upon  them  and  they  spake  with  tongue's  and  prophe- 
sied." 

An  imposter  can  baptize  in  water  by  physical  force,  imitate 
the  true  form  at  the  submission  of  the  candidate,  but  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  cannot  be  given  without  authority  from 
God ;  and  while  the  wateT  baptism  is  equally  destitute  of  its 
legitimate  results  when  not  performed  by  authority,  the  im- 
posture is  not  so  readily  detected  because  not  usually  accompa- 
nied by  the  same  manifestation  of  divine  power ;  therefore  de- 
signing or  ignorant  men  have  taken  pains  either  to  deny  the 
gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  being  essential  with  its  ancient  spir- 


422  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

itual  powers,  or  to  tell  the  people  that  no  outward  ordinance 
was  essential  to  confer  it,  thus  endeavoring  to  dispense  with  this 
sacred  ordinance. 

The  following  references  also  indicate  the  laying  on  of  hands 
as  a  sacred  rite  which  would  not  have  been  adopted  by  the 
apostles  unless  commanded  of  God  to  do  so :  I  Tim.  iv  :14 — 
"Neglect  not  the  gift  that  is  in  thee,  which  was  given  thee  by 
prophecy,  with  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery." 
IT  Tim.  i:  6 — "Wherefore  I  put  thee  in  remembrance  that  thou 
stir  up  the  gift  of  God  which  is  in  thee  by  the  putting  on  of  my 
hands."  Also  showing  that  this  ordinance  was  laid  down  as  a 
positive  doctrine,  we  call  attention  to  the  sixth  chapter  of  He- 
brews, first  and  second  verses:  "Therefore  leaving  (another 
translation,  that  of  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith,  reads  'not  leav- 
ing') the  principle's  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  let  us  go  on  unto 
perfection,  not  laying  again  the  foundation  of  repentance  from 
dead  works,  and  of  faith  toward  God  of  the  doctrine  of  baptisms 
and  of  laying  on  of  hands." 

That  man  might  duplicate  in  form  this  divine  ceremony  with- 
out authority  and  without  effect,  we  do  not  deny;  but  we  con- 
fidently assert  that  without  this  ordinance  'being  administered 
by  an  acknowledged  authority  from  God,  the  operation  would 
be  of  non-effect.  The  undeniable  facts  of  religious  history  for 
seventeen  centuries  prove  that  men  did  not  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Where  the  tree  is,  there  will  the  fruit  be  produced, 
unless  the  tree  is  dead;  and  no  one  will  contend  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  dead. 

The  following  quotations  will  point  out  the  fruits  of  the  Holy 
Spirit:  "But  the  Comforter,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom 
the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  He  shall  teach  you  all  things 
and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance,  whatsoever  I  have 
said  unto  you."  (St.  John  xiv:26.)  "Howbeit,  when  He,  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  is>  come,  He  will  guide  you  into  all  truth :  for 
He1  shall  not  speak  of  Himself;  but  whatsoever  He  shall  hear, 
that  shall  He  speak,  and  He  shall  show  you  things  to  come." 
(St.  John  xvi:  13.)  "As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord  and  fasted, 
the  Holy  Ghost  said,  'Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul,  for  the 
work  whereunto  I  have  called  them.'  "  (Acts  xiii:  2.)  "Where- 
fore I  give  you  to  understand  that  no  man  speaking  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  calleth  Jesus  accursed:  and  that  no  man  can  say 


RECEPTION  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT/  423 

that  Jesus  is  the  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Now  there  are 
diversities  of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit.  *  *  *  For  to  one  is 
given  by  the  Spirit  the  word  of  wisdom;  to  another,  the  word 
of  knowledge  by  the  same  Spirit;  To  another,  faith  by  the  same 
Spirit;  to  another,  the  gifts  of  healing  by  the  same  Spirit;  to 
another,  the  working  of  miracles ;  to  another,  prophecy ;  to  an- 
other discerning  of  Spirits ;  to  another,  divers  kinds  of  tongues." 
(I  Oor.  xii:  3,  4,  8,  9,  10.)  "But  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  is  love, 
joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness, 
temperance.  (Gal.  v:  22-23.) 

The  same  cause  will  ever  produce  the  same  effect;  a  tree  is 
known  by  its  fruits,  and  to  be  convinced  that  we  need  such 
gifts  today  it  is  only  necessary  to  look  at  the  spectacle  of  jar- 
ring "Christianity"  with  its  many  creeds.  Where  is  the  Spirit 
that  guides  into  all  truth,  which  does  not  contradict  itself,  but 
teaches  the  "common  salvation"  of  "one  Lord,  one  faith,  one 
baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  all?"  That  brings  us  "to  a 
unity  of  faifh,"  and  makes  us  one  in  Christ,  as  He  prayed  that 
His  disciples  and  all  whom  the  Father  should  give  Him  out  of 
the"  world  might  be  one  even  as  I  am  one  in  the  Father  amd 
the  Father  in  me,  that  they  may  be  one  in  us,  "that  the  world 
may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me?"  Where  is  the  Spirit  of 
prophecy?  "The  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  Spirit  of  prophecy," 
the  gifts  of  revelation,  healings  and  all  the  glorious  powers 
enumerated  in  the  Scripture  quotations  made.  Well  did  Isaiah 
say,  "The  earth  also  is  defiled  under  the  inhabitants  thereof, 
because  they  have  transgressed  the  laws,  changed  the  ordinances 
and  broken  the  everlasting  covenant."  (Isa.  xxiv:  5.) 

Without  further  comment  on  the  giftsi  of  the"  Spirit,  we  will 
introduce  quotations  to  show  that  the  laying  on  of  hands  was 
practiced  also  for  ordination  to  office  in  the  Church  of  Christ, 
and  for  the  healing  of  the  sick,  as  well  as  to  confer  the  gift  of 
the  Holy  Ghost:  "Whom  they  set  before  the  apostles;  and  when 
they  had  prayed,  they  laid  their  hands  on  them."  (Acts  vi:  6.) 
This  refers  to  the  ordination  of  Stephen  and  six  others.  "As 
they  ministered  to  the  Lord  and  fasted,  the  Holy  Ghost  said, 
separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have 
called  them.  And  when  they  had  fasted  and  prayed  and  laid 
their  hands  on  them  they  sent  them  away."  (Acts  xiii :  2,  3.) 

The  same  ordinance  was  also  had  in  ancient  times  before  the 


424  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

coming  of  the  Savior.  Paul  informs  us  in  Gal.  iii,  that  the 
Gospel  was  preached  before"  unto  Abraham.  "And  the  Lord 
said  unto  Moses,  Take  thee  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  a  man 
in  whom  is  the  Spirit,  and  lay  thine  hands  upon  him.  And 
he  laid  his  hands  upon  him  and  gave  him  a  charge,  as  the 
Lord  commanded  by  the  hand  of  Moses."  (Num.  xxvii:  18,  23.) 
"And  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  was  full  of  the  Spirit  of  wisdom, 
for  Moses  had  laid  his  hands  upon  him."  (De"ut.  xxxiv:9.) 

It  is  most  reasonable  to  conclude  from  the  evidence  presented 
that  this  practice  came  down  from  the  beginning,  and  was 
before  and  after  Christ  a  divine  ordinance.  That  it  was  prac- 
ticed for  the"  healing  of  the  sick  is  evident  from  the  following 
historical  and  doctrinal  statements  made  in  the  New  Testament 
by  the  Messiah  and  His  apostles:  "They  shall  lay  hands  on  the 
sick  and  they  shall  recover."  (Mark  xvi:  18.)  "And  He  could 
there  do  no  mighty  work  save  that  He  laid  His  hands  upon  a 
fe'w  sick  folk  and  healed  them."  (Mark  vi:5.)  "Now  whem 
the  sun  was1  setting,  all  they  that  had  any  sick  with  divers  dis- 
eases brought  them  unto  Him;  and  He  laid  His  hands  on 
every  one  of  them,  and  healed  them."  (Luke  iv:40.)  "And 
putting  his  hands  on  him,  said  Brother  Saul,  the  Lord,  even 
Jesus,  that  appeared  unto  thee  in  the  way  as  thou  earnest,  hath 
sent  me  that  thou  mightest  receive  thy  sight,"  etc.  (Acts 
ix:17.)  "And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  father  of  Publius  lay 
sick  of  a  fever,  and  of  a  bloody  flux;  to  whom  Paul  entered  in, 
and  prayed,  and  laid  his  hands  on  him,  and  healed  him."  (Acts 
xxviii:8.)  "Is  any  sick  among  you?  Let  him  call  for  the 
elders  of  the  church,  and  let  them  pray  over  him,  anointing 
him  with  oil  in  the  name  of  the  Lord:  And  the  prayer  of  faith 
shall  save  the  sick,  and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up,"  etc. 
(James  v:  14,  15.) 

Although  the  laying  on  of  hands  is  not  expressly  mentioned 
in  the  last  quotation,  it  is  readily  seen  that  the  sick  could  not  be1 
anointed  without  the  imposition  of  hands. 

The  foregoing  should  be  sufficient  to  convince  all  Bible  believ- 
ers that  the  laying  on  of  hands  is  a  sacred  ordinance  for  the 
purposes  specified  in  Holy  writ,  that  it  follows  the  baptism  of 
water,  and  occupies  its  relationship  in  the  plan  of  salvation  as 
the  fourth  essential  principle  to  fully  establish  men  in  the 
Church  of  Christ;  the  order  is,  faith,  repentance,  baptism  by 


RECEPTION  OF  THE   HOLY  SPIRIT.  425 

immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  the  laying  on  of  hands 
for  the1  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  is  the  door  into  the 
sheepfold ;  "he  that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into  the  sheepfold, 
but  climbeth  up  some  other  way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a 
robber."  (St.  John  x:  1.) 


PRE-EXISTENCE. 

As  Latter-day  Saints  we  believe  that  all  creation  existed 
spiritually  before  the  physical  organism  was  brought  into  ex- 
istence; "And  every  plant  of  the  field  before  it  was  in  the 
earth,  and  every  herb  of  the  field  before  it  grew."  (Gen.  ii:  5.) 

"And  God  said,  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  the  living  creature 
after  his  kind,  cattle,  and  creeping  thing.  And  <beast  of  the 
earth  after  his  kind;  and  it  was  so."  (Gen.  i:  24.)  There- 
fore each  kind,  whether  beast,  bird  or  fish,  as  well  as  man, 
existed  before  it  came  to  occupy  a  physical  being,  otherwise 
how  could  each  have  been  created  after  its  own  kind?  The 
spirit  and  the  body  must  be  the  soul,  as  enunciated  by  the 
Lord  in  a  revelation  to  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith.  (Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  sec.  88,  verse  15.)  "And  the  spirit  and  the 
body  is  the  soul  of  man."  Otherwise  there  might  be  an  eter- 
nal fullness  when  the  spirit  and  the  body  are  separated.  When 
Jesus  was  crucified  He  went,  as  stated  by  Peter,  to  preach  to 
the  spirits  in  prison,  and  did  not  enter  into  the  fullness  of  His 
Father's  glory  until  He  ascended  after  His  resurrection.  This 
was  the  pattern  to  all  men. 

Without  the  union  of  the  spirit  and  the  body  there  is  not  a 
fullness  of  glory.  As  the  spirit  exists  between  death  and  the 
resurrection,  so  the  spirit  existed  before  the  birth  of  the  mortal 
body.  God  is  the  God  and  Father  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh, 
as  stated  by  Moses:  "O  God,  the  God  of  the  spirits  of  all 
flesh,  shall  one  man  sin,  and  wilt  Thou  be  wroth  with  all 
the  congregation?"  (Num.  xvi:  22.)  "Let  the  Lord,  the 
God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh,  set  a  man  over  the  congrega- 
tion." (Num.  xxvii:  16.)  This  declaration  is  corroborated 
by  the  apostle  Paul  in  writing  to  the  Hebrews:  "Furthermore, 
we  have  had  fathers  of  our  flesh,  which  corrected  us,  and  we 
gave  them  reverence;  shall  we  not  much  rather  be  in  subjec 
tion  to  the  Father  of  spirits  and  live?" 

We  associate  in  this  life  with  our  natural  fathers;  \ve  see 
them  as  they  are.  They  teach,  guide  and  direct  us  by  virtue 


PRE  EXISTENCE.  427 

of  their  fatherhood  and  their  advanced  experience,  which 
qualify  them  to  teach  us  and  direct  our  footsteps  in  the  way 
we  should  walk.  So  in  our  pre-existence  did  we  mingle  with 
our  heavenly  Father  and  His  children,  our  brother  and  sister 
spirits.  We  knew  God  and  partook  of  His  influence  and 
power.  We  were  agents  to  ourselves,  and  when  propositions 
affecting  man's  eternal  welfare  were  placed  before  us,  we  were 
left  to  choose  for  ourselves  and  be  responsible  for  our  own 
course.  Thus  Lucifer  rebelled,  and  drew  one-third  part  of  the 
heavenly  host  away.  They  were  cast  out,  and  denied  a  body. 
So  keenly  have  they  felt  this  curse  tbat  they  seek  to  possess 
the  bodies  of  the  human  family.  When  Jesus  cast  the  evil 
spirits  from  the  men  coming  out  of  the  tombs,  so  eager  were 
they  to  possess  some  physical  tabernacle,  that  they  besought 
Him  that  they  might  enter  the  herd  of  swine.  The  request 
was  granted,  and  the  swine,  possessed  of  evil  spirits,  ran  down 
violently  into  the  sea. 

Not  only  the  fact  of  man's  pre-existence,  but  also  his  power 
to  do  good  and  ill,  seemed  to  be  understood  by  the  ancient 
apostles  when  they  said,  "Master,  who  did  sin,  this  man  or 
his  parents,  that  he  was  born  blind?  Neither  hath  this  man 
sinned,  nor  his  parents."  (John  ix:  2,  3.)  Jesus  did  not  deny 
the  possibility  of  sinning  before  birth.  Why  should  not  the 
spirit  be  just  as  capable  of  intelligent  action  before  the  birth 
into  this  world,  as  it  is  during  its  existence  between  death  and 
the  resurrection?  As  to  that  time,  Jesus  taught  that  all  that 
were  in  their  graves  should  hear  His  voice.  (St.  John  v:25, 
29.)  When  Job  was  in  the  depth  of  his  affliction  the  Lord 
said  unto  him,  "Gird  up  now  thy  loins  like  a  man;  for  I  will 
demand  of  thee,  and  answer  thou  me.  Where  wast  thou  when 
I  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth?  *  *  *  When  the  morn- 
ing stars  sang  together,  and  all  the  sons  of  God  shouted  for 
joyV"  (Job  xxxviii:  3,  4,  7.)  Doubtless  Job  was  somewhere  in 
existence  or  the  Almighty  would  never  have  propounded  such  a 
question.  The  sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy,  and  without  doubt 
Job  was  among  that  honored  number.  Solomon  also  gives  us 
to  understand  that  the  spirit  once  dwelt  in  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.  He  says:  "And  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God  who 
gave  it." 


428  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

The  subject  of  pre-existence  is  made  very  plain  in  the  first 
chapter,  5th  verse  of  Jeremiah:  "Before  I  formed  thee  in  the 
belly  I  knew  thee:  and  before  thou  earnest  forth  out  of  the 
womb  I  sanctified  thee  and  I  ordained  thee  a  prophet  unto 
the  nations."  Thus  in  his  pre-existent  state  did  Jeremiah  re- 
ceive his  ordination  to  be  a  prophet  of  the  Lord  to  the 
nations  of  the  earth.  If  such  were  the  case  with  Jeremiah, 
why  not  with  thousands  of  the  sons  of  God?  Indeed  it  is 
evident  from  Paul's  writings  that  the  time  of  man's  coming 
to  this  world  is  not  mere  chance,  neither  is  it  regulated  by  the 
arrangements  of  human  philosophy  in  this  world:  "God  that 
made  the  world  *  *  *  hath  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  of 
men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth:  and  hath  deter- 
mined the  times  before  appointed  and  the  bounds  of  their  habi- 
tations." (Acts  xvii:24,  26.)  In  other  words,  the  Father  of 
our  spirits  determined  when  we  should  come  and  those  portions 
of  the  earth  where  should  be  set  the  bounds  of  our  habitation. 
It  was  no  chance-work,  then,  that  Abraham,  Moses,  Isaiah, 
Ezekiel,  Daniel,  the  Savior,  Joseph  Smith,  and  the  founders 
of  liberty  in  this  and  other  lands  came  to  the  earth  in  their 
respective  times  and  to  those  countries  where  they  played  their 
great  parts  in  the  purposes  of  God  and  the  drama  of  life. 
"I  came  forth  from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world; 
again  I  leave  the  world  and  go  to  the  Father."  (St.  John 
xvi:  28.)  And  now,  O  Father,  glorify  Thou  me  with  thine  own 
self  with  the  glory  which  I  had  with  Thee  before  the  world 
was."  (St.  John  xvii:  5.)  Jesus  dwelt  with  the  Father  before 
He  came  here,  so  did  we.  Entering  our  temples  of  mortality 
we  forget  all  that  has  passed  before  in  our  spiritual  existence. 
This  mortal  state  is  a  veil  which  hides  the  eternal  past,  from 
our  recollection,  and  shuts  off  the  visions  of  the  eternal  future, 
only  as  from  time  to  time  the  revelations  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
bring  "things  past  to  our  remembrance  and  shows  us  things  to 
coine." 

It  is  probable,  from  some  references  in  the  Scriptures,  that 
if  our  spirits  were  sent  here  unembodied,  the  remembrance  of 
the  past  would  come  with  us.  At  least,  this  was  doubtless 
the  case  with  Lucifer  <and  his  rebel  host.  When  he  tried  to 
tempt  the  Savior,  as  recorded  in  'Matthew,  fourth  chapter,  he 
knew  Him  undoubtedly  from  their  acquaintance  in  a  pre- 


PJRE-EXISTENCE.  429 

existent  state.  When  the  man  with  evil  spirits  met  the  Savior 
in  the  synagogue,  the  spirits  cried  out,  "saying,  let  us  alone. 
What  have  we  to  do  with  Thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth?  Art 
thou  come  to  destroy  us?  I  know  Thee  who  thou  art,  the 
Holy  One  of  God."  (Luke  iv:34.)  A  similar  testimony  was 
borne  by  evil  spirits  possessing  the  men  coining  out  of  the 
tombs,  as  recorded  in  Matthew,  viii :  29.  "And  behold  they 
cried  out,  saying,  What  have  we  to  do  with  Thee?  Jesus, 
thou  Son  of  God?  art  Thou  come  hither  to  torment  us  before 
the  time?"  "And  unclean  spirits,  when  they  saw  Him,  fell 
down  before  Him  and  cried,  saying,  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God." 
(Mark  iiirll.)  In  Luke,  viii:28,  we  have  the  testimony  of  the 
historian  that  the  devils  possessing  a  certain  man  cried  out, 
"and  with  a  loud  voice"  said,  "Jesus,  Thou  Son  of  God."  It 
is  not  probable  that  these  evil  spirits  knew  Jesus  because  of 
a  testimony  from  above,  while  all  Judea  failed  to  recognize  in 
Him  the  Messiah,  the  Savior  of  the  world.  Many  likely  knew 
Him  because  they  had  been  associated  and  acquainted  with 
Him  before  the  world  was. 

John  the  Revelator  in  Revelations,  twelfth  chapter,  describes 
the  war  in  heaven,  which  took  place  between  Satan  and  his 
followers  on  the  one  hand  and  Michael  and  his  angels  on  the 
other.  This  description  refers  to  their  spiritual  existence,  as 
do  the  foregoing  quotations  from  Holy  Writ.  These  show  us 
clearly  that  man  did  not  begin  with  this  world,  nor  does  he 
end  with  this  earthly  life.  Man  is  eternal,  and  will  have  no 
end.  He  lived  and  reigned  with  God  in  the  heavens.  His 
course  there  largely  affects  his  condition  here,  as  our  conduct 
in  this  life  will  have  all  to  do  with  the  glory  we  attain  to  in 
the  world  to  come.  Man  will  live  on  forever.  He  dies  as  to 
the  body,  lives  in  the  spirit  world,  and  will  again  take  up  his 
body,  a  resurrected,  glorified  being,  prepared  on  certain  con- 
ditions to  dwell  with  God  throughout  the  countless  ages  of 
eternity,  to  become  like  unto  Him.  Possessing  all  things,  even 
as  Jesus,  being  in  the  image  of  His  Father,  "thought  it  not 
robbery  to  be  made  equal  with  him."  "What  is  man,  that  Thou 
art  mindful  of  him?  and  the  Son  of  Man,  that  Thou  visitest 
him?  For  Thou  hast  made  him  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 
and  hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honor.  Thou  madest 
him  to  have  dominion  over  the  works  of  Thy  hands;  thou 
hast  put  all  things  under  his  feet."  (Psalms  viii:4-6.) 


SALVATION  FOR  THE  DEAD. 

''I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  for  it  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  Salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth." 

We  must  not  infer  from  this  quotation  that  mere  conviction 
of  the  mind  to  religious  truths  will  secure  salvation ;  for  pure 
belief  would  lead  men  to  actual  works,  thus  constituting  a 
living,  active  faith. 

The  Apostle  James  declares  that  "faith  without  works  is 
dead."  The  Savior  taught  in  His  sermon  on  the  mount  that 
"Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  'Lord,  Lord,'  shall  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven."  From  these  and  other  passages  of. 
Scripture  we1  learn  that  the  Gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  all  who  believe,  obey  and  remain  faithful  to  the 
end.  This  gives  us  a  general  definition  of  what  is  meant  by  the 
term  Gospel. 

To  understand  the  principles  which  constitute  the  Gospel, 
we  may  remind  our  readers  that  mankind  find  themselves  under 
the  necessity  of  a  redemption  which  is  two-fold  in  its  character. 
First,  by  the  act  of  our  first  parents,  all  creation  is  subject 
to  the  death  of  the  mortal  body.  Second,  by  individual 
sins  man  becomes  unworthy  to  dwell  in  the  presence  of  the 
Eternal  Father. 

The  Gospel,  then,  consists  of  the  atonement  of  Christ,  by 
which  all  are  entitled  to  a  resurrection  of  the  body ;  in  the 
language  of  Paul,  "For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ 
shall  all  be  made  alive."  It  also  consists  of  laws  and  ordi- 
nances for  man's  obedience,  by  which  he  is  redeemed  from 
his  own  sins,  placed  in  communication  with  God,  and  led  back 
into  His  presence. 

In  the  justice  of  the  Almighty  the  plan  of  salvation  must 
be  so  comprehensive  and  general  that  the  human  family,  without 
distinction,  shall  have  the  opportunity  of  receiving  it. 

We  learn  from  the  Pearl  of  Great  Price  that  before  Adam 
departed  to  the  life  beyond,  God  revealed  to  him  the  plan  of 


SALVATION   FOR  THE  DEAD.  431 

salvation.  He  obeyed  it  and  communicated  this  knowledge 
to  his  posterity  during  the  seven  generations  that  lived  con- 
temporary with  him.  With  the  Gospel,  necessarily  came  the 
authority  of  God  to  administer  in  the  ordinances  thereof.  This 
authority  is  called  the  Holy  Priesthood.  In  a  revelation 
given  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith,  September  22d  and  23d,  1832, 
and  contained  in  Sec.  84  of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants,  we 
learn  thnt  the  priesthood  was  conferred  through  Father  Adam 
by  the  laying  on  of  hands  upon  Abel,  and  from  Abel  or  Seth 
was  conferred  through  the  lineage  of  their  descendants-  to 
Enoch,  and  from  Enoch  to  Noah  down  to  Melchisedek,  who 
conferred  it  upon  Abraham.  In  the  days  of  Abraham  lived 
the  great  prophet  Esaias,  who,  the  revelation  informs  us,  re- 
ceived the  priesthood  under  the  hand  of  God.  From  Esaias 
it  was  handed  down  through  an  unbroken  chain  to  the  prophet 
Moses,  but  because  of  the  unbelief  and  hardness  of  the  people, 
"He  took  Moses  out  of  their  midst  and  the  Holy  Priesthood 
also,  and  the  lesser  priesthood  continued."  (Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  Sec.  84.) 

This  record  shows  an  unbroken  succession  of  the  Holy  Priest- 
hood and  the  Gospel  of  Christ  from  Adam  to  Moses,  a  period 
of  about  2,500  years.  Then  began  those  periods  of  the  world's 
history  when  the  fullness  of  the  Gospel  was  not  to  be  had  among 
the  children  of  men,  periods  when  the  spirit  of  darkness  en- 
grossed the  human  family  and  left  mankind,  in  a  great  degree, 
as  a  blind  man  groping  for  the  wall.  The  first  of  these  periods 
continued  from  Moses  until  the  Savior  came  and  restored  the 
higher  priesthood,  established  His  church  upon  the  earth,  and 
sent  his  apostles  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  all  the  world.  An- 
other similar  period  was  from  the  time  the  Gospel  became 
corrupted,  in  the  first  two  or  three  centuries  of  the  Christian 
era,  to  its  restoration  in  this  dispensation  through  the  prophet 
Joseph  Smith.  The  Christian  dispensation  of  the  Gospel 
continued  to  a  greater  length  upon  the  American  continent, 
extending  to  nearly  400  years  after  Christ.  What  success 
attended  the  Gospel  among  the  ten  lost  tribes  whom  the  Messiah 
visited  and  how  long  it  was  maintained  among  them  is  not 
yet  revealed,  but  will  be  in  the  due  time  of  the  Lord. 

The  Elders  in  preaching  the  Gospel  abroad  are  often  con- 
fronted with  an  objection  to  this  claim  of  apostasy  from  the 


432  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

truth,  that  such  periods  of  spiritual  darkness  do  not  harmonize 
with  the  mercy  and  justice  of  God.  The  objectors,  therefore, 
incline  to  the  belief  that  the  Christian  world  has  enjoyed  the 
Gospel  ever  since  the  coming  of  the  Messiah.  The  query 
then  arises,  what  is  the  cause  of  such  apparent  difference  in 
the  opportunities  of  human  beings?  Some  are  born  in  the 
church,  heirs  to  the  Holy  Priesthood;  others,  in  a  Gospel  dispen- 
sation, not  in  the  church,  but  under  conditions  favorable  to 
their  accepting  it ;  still  another  class  in  the  same  dispensation 
is  under  such  adverse  circumstances  that  believing  and  obeying 
are  rendered  very  difficult ;  and  yet  a  larger  number,  counted 
by  millions,  live  and  die  where  no  voice  from  God  comes  to  their 
relief. 

In  the  absence  of  revelation  giving  any  detailed  information 
on  this  question,  we  may  rest  contented  with  the  reflection  that 
God  is  just,  and  that  a  just  cause  exists  for  that  which  appears 
inconsistent  in  the  eyes  of  mortal  man,  but  that  reflection  is  not 
satisfying ;  we  are1  in  absolute  need  of  revelation  to  enable  us 
to  comprehend  the  cause  and  to  justify  in  our  minds  the  condi- 
tions which  exist. 

Our  works  in  this  life  are  known  to  God,  and  our  rewards 
and  punishments  are  meted  out  according  to  the  deeds  done 
in  the  body.  Our  pre-existent  merits  and  demerits  are  equally 
well  known  to  our  Heavenly  Father.  As  proof  that  God  knew 
before  this  life  with  all  the  exactness  that  we  are  known  here, 
I  here  introduce  the*  following  from  page  41,  Pearl  of  Great 
Price :  "Now  the  Lord  had  shown  unto  me,  Abraham,  the  in- 
telligences that  were  organized  before  the  world  was ;  and 
among  all  these  there  were1  many  of  the  noble  and  great  ones ; 
and  God  saw  these  souls  that  they  were  good,  and  He  stood  iu 
the  midst  of  them ;  and  He  said,  'These  I  will  make  my  rulers,' 
for  He  stood  among  those  that  were"  spirits;  and  He  saw 
they  were  good ;  and  there  stood  one  among  them  like  unto  God, 
and  He  said  unto  those  that  were  with  Him,  'We  will  go  down, 
for  there  is  space  there,  and  we  will  take  of  these  materials, 
and  we  will  make  an  earth,  whereon  these  may  dwell ;  and  we 
will  prove  them  herewith,  to  see  if  they  will  do  all  things 
whatsoever  the  Lord  their  God  shall  command  them;  and  they 
who  keep  their  first  estate1  shall  be  added  upon ;  and  they  who 
keep  not  their  first  estate,  shall  not  have  glory  in  the  same 


SALVATION  FOB  THE  DEAD.  433 

kingdom  with  those  who  keep  their  first  estate;  and  they  who 
keep  their  second  estate  shall  have  glory  added  upon  their 
heads  forever  and  ever." 

In  the  first  chapter  fourth  and  fifth  verses  of  Jeremiah,  we 
have  the  following :  "Then  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me, 
saying,  Before  I  formed  thee  I  knew  thee,  and  before  thou 
earnest  forth,  I  sanctified  thee,  and  I  ordained  thee  a  prophet 
unto  the  nations."  From  these  plain  teachings  of  the  prophet, 
it  is  readily  seen  that  the  measure  of  integrity  attached  to  our 
pre-existence  was  fully  understood  by  our  Father;  and  as  our 
future  condition  is  based  upon  our  works  in  this  life,  is  it 
not  a  reasonable  conclusion  that  our  sdtuation  in  this  world  is 
largely  due  to  our  conduct  in  a  pre-existent  state? 

That  God  has  a  distinct  hand  in  the  appointment  of  the 
time  for  His  children  to  come  upon  the  earth  is  very  clearly 
stated  by  the  Apostle  Paul.  In  the  seventeenth  chapter  of 
Acts  he  says :  "God  that  made  the  world  and  all  things  therein, 
giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things ;  and  hath  made 
of  one  blood  ail  nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the  face1  of 
the  earth  and  hath  determined  the  times  before  appointed  and 
the  bounds  of  their  habitations."  Thus  we  learn  that  this  great 
emigration  of  souls  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  to  this  earth 
is  controlled  and  directed  by  the  Almighty.  That  He  designed 
them  all  at  some  time  to  learn  of  Him  is  stated  in  the  verse  fol- 
lowing the  above  quotation,  which  reads,  "That  they  should  se'ek 
the  Lord  and  find  Him." 

We  are  compelled  from  these  facts  to  believe  that,  as  God 
Himself  sent  millions  into  the  world  when  the  Gospel  was  not 
had  among  the  inhabitants  of  the"  earth,  then  His  saving  plan, 
to  be  compatible  with  His  attributes  of  mercy  and  justice,  must 
be  of  such  a  character  as  to  reach  these  people  after  they  leave 
this  world.  We  may  add  here  that  this  vast  host  of  humanity 
who  lived  when  the  Gospel  was  not  extant  is  greatly  augmented 
by  the  unnumbered  millions  of  people  who  live  during  the  dis- 
pensation of  the  Gospel,  but  who  never  see  or  hear  an  authorized 
servant  of  the  Lord. 

In  connection  with  this  branch  of  the  subject  it  may  be  well 
to  refer  to  the  belief  of  many  that,  at  death  the  wicked  are 
consiigned  to  their  final  doom  and  the  righteous  to  full  and  com- 
plete exaltation  in  the  presence  of  God.  We  can  explode  this 

28 


434  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

fallacy  by  quotations  from  Holy  Writ.  In  line  with  this  mis- 
taken belief  we  find  ministers  attending  the  culprit  at  the  gal- 
lows, urging  him  to  confess  Christ,  and  telling  him  that  by  such 
confession  he  will  be  saved  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  In  the 
face  of  such  doctrine  the  Scriptures  plainly  declare  that,  "The 
murderer  hath  not  eternal  life  abiding  in  him."  We  who  live 
in  this  dispensation  are  forbidden  by  the  living  oracle's  of  God 
to  receive  temple  ordinances  for  even  the  suicide.  To  exhibit 
the  error  of  many  in  the  religious  world  on  this  point  read  the 
forty-second  and  forty-third  verses  of  the  twenty-third  chapter 
of  Luke.  The  thief  on  the  cross  is  recorded  as  saying  to  the 
Savior,  "Lord,  remember  me  when'  Thou  comest  into  Thy  king- 
dom." Jesus  then  said  to  him,  "Today  shalt  thou  be  with  ma 
in  Paradise."  The  claim  is  made  that  such  a  promise  amounte'cl 
to  salvation,  taking  the  malefactor  to  a  condition  of  eternal 
glory.  In  the  face  of  this  mistaken  interpretation  of  the 
Scripture,  we  have  the  assertion  of  Christ  Himself,  made  thre'e 
days  later  to  Mary :  "Touch  me  not,  for  I  am  not  yet 
ascended  unto  my  father."  (John  xx :  17.)  Thisi  is  conclusive 
evidence  that  the  paradise  spoken  of  was  not  the  enjoyment 
of  the  presence  and  glory  of  God.  But  we  are  not  left  in 
ignorance  of  where  He  did  go.  He  had  previously  said  to  His 
apostles,  as  recorded  in  John  v :  25,  "The  hour  is  coming  and 
now  is  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God, 
and  they  that  hear  shall  live."  The  object  of  this  preaching  is 
stated  in  the  fourth  chapter,  sixth  verse,  of  I  Peter,  to  be, 
"For,  for  this  cause  was  the  Gospel  preached  also  to  them  that 
are  dead,  that  they  might  be  judged  according  to  men  in  the 
flesh,  but  live*  according  to  God  in  the  spirit." 

This  Scripture  establishes  the  truth  beyond  doubt  that  death 
does  not  perfect  people,  and  dying  without  obedience  to  the 
Gospel  does  not  relieve  them  of  the  impartial  obligation  placed 
upon  all  men  to  believe  and  obey.  It  also  maintains  the  doc- 
trine of  man's;  free  agency  by  showing  that  salvation  is  only 
realized  when  man  exercises  his  own  volition  to  receive  the 
Gospel,  and  by  education  in  the  knowledge  of  God,  step  by  step, 
becomes  prepared  to  dwell  in  the  glorious  presence  of  the  Father 
and  the  Son.  With  this  testimony  of  the  Savior  and  the  Jewish 
apostles,  the  teachings  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  are  in  perfect  harmony. 


SALVATION  FOB  THE  DEAD.  435 

The  sacred  record  of  the  Nephites  informs  us  that  the  spirit 
which  possesses  a  man  who  dies  in  his  sins  will  have  power  to 
possess  him  in  a  future  state.  The  Prophet  Joseph,  speaking 
upon  this  subject,  also  said,  on  April  10,  1842 :  "If  you  wish 
to  go  where  God  is,  you  must  be  like  God,  or  possess  the  prin- 
ciples which  God  possesses,  for,  if  we  are  not  drawing  towards 
Go '  in  principles,  we  are  going  from  Him  and  drawing  towards 
the  devil.  A  man  is  saved  no  faster  than  he  gets  knowledge, 
for,  if  he1  does  not  get  knowledge,  he  will  be  brought  into  cap- 
tivity by  some  evil  power  in  the  other  world,  as  evil  spirits  will 
have  more  knowledge  and  consequently  more  power  than  many 
men  who  sre  en  the  earth.  Hence,  it  needs  revelation  to  as- 
sist and  give  us  knowledge  of  the  things  of  God." 

To  show  still  more  definitely  Christ's  mission  in  the  spirit 
world,  we  read  from  Peter,  third  chapter,  eighteenth  verse,  as 
follows;  "For  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just 
for  the  unjust,  that  He  might  bring  us  to  God,  being  put  to  death 
in  the  flesh,  but  quickened  by  the  spirit;  by  which  also  He 
went  and  preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison  ;  which  sometimes 
were  disobedient,  when  once  the  long-soiffering  of  God  waited  in 
the  days  of  Noah." 

We  may  infer  safely  that  the"  penitent  thief  had  the  privi- 
lege of  going  to  the  prison  house  with  the  Savior  and  hearing  the 
Gospel;  the  distinction  between  his  situation  and  that  of  the 
antediluvians  being  that  they  had  remained  in  purgatory  for 
hundreds  of  years,  while  the  penitent  man,  who  had  shown  some 
repentance  in  the  last  hour  of  his  life,  may  have  heard,  with 
but  little  delay,  the  Gospel.  Whether  he  had  heard  it  in 
life  and  rejected  it  we  are  not  informed,  and  how  long  he  would 
remain  in  the  spirit  world  without  realizing  its  full  benefits  we 
do  not  know,  but  the  above  quotations  are  ample  to  disprove 
the  fallacy  of  the  position  taken  by  those  in  the  religious  world 
who  deny  salvation  after  death. 

One  objection  made  by  the  world  to  this  doctrine  is,  that 
offering  salvation  after  this  life  destroys  the  incentive  to  em- 
brace the1  Gospel  here  and  holds  out  the  inducement  to  indulge 
in  the  pleasures  of  sin,  through  people  believing  that  they 
might  be  redeemed  in  a  future  state  where  the  pleasures  of  sin 
would  be  less  delusive.  If  we  admit,  for  the  sake  of  argu- 
ment, this  theory,  the  evil  results  following  are  incomparably 


436  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

less  than  would  be  those  which  offer  salvation  to  some  and 
deny  it  to  others,  for  this  amounts  virtually  to  a  destruction 
of  the  attributes  of  justice  and  mercy  which  dwell  in  the 
bosom  of  a  wise  Creator ;  but  there  is  another  side  to  this  part 
of  the  question.  We  may  illustrate  by  comparison.  If  a  man 
obey  the  law  of  the  land  simply  because  he  fears1  the  penalty 
of  violating  the  law,  you  have  at  once  an  individual  devoid 
of  love  for  right  and  of  no  strength  of  character,  a  man  who  is 
a  meTe  slave  to  the  influences  which  surround  him ;  or  if  you 
find  a  being  who  is  willing  to  pay  the  penalty  of  stealing  or  com- 
mitting other  crimes,  for  the  pleasure  he  finds  in  them,  with  the 
knowledge  that  when  he  has/  served  his  term  in  prison  he  may 
be  liberated  only  to  steal  again,  you  have  a  man  devoid  of 
character,  and  to  say  that  this  would  be  the  course  of  man- 
kind relative  to  the  boon  cf  eternal  life  is  only  to  belittle  the 
character  of  the  human  family  and  strip  them  of  those  at- 
tributes which  come  from  God  their  Father.  This  mission 
of  the  Savior  was  contemplated  by  the  ancient  Jewish  prophets. 
They,  knowing  that  the  atonement  of  Christ  and  the  principles 
of  ihe  Gospel  must  apply  to  those  who  lived  before  His  com- 
ing as  well  as  to  all  who  came  after,  understood  that  the 
millions  who  died  without  the  Gospel  in  this  life  must  hear  and 
obey  in  the  life  to  come.  Isaiah  prophesied  conceTning  the  mis- 
sion of  the  Son  of  Gcd :  "I,  the  Lord,  have  called  thee  in 
righteousness,  and  will  hold  thine  hand,  and  will  keep  thee,  and 
give  thee1  for  a  covenant  of  the  people,  for  a  light  of  the 
Gentiles ;  to  open  the  blind  eyes ;  to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from 
the  prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the  prison 
house."  (Isaiah  xlii :  6,  7.) 

Thus  salvation  for  the  dead  is  a  scriptural  doctrine.  The 
Gospel  is  preache'd  to  the  spirits  in  prison.  At  the  same 
time,  it  is  evident  from  all  that  we  learn  upon  this  subject 
that  the  ordinances  of  baptism,  confirmations,  sealings,  etc., 
are  received  by  those  living  in  the  flesh,  in  behalf  of  those  who 
die1  without  the  Gospel  in  this  world,  but  receive  it  in  the  next. 
Paul,  in  the  fifteenth  chapter  of  I.  Corinthians^  speaking  of  the 
resurrection,  says :  "Else  what  shall  they  do  which  are  bap- 
tized for  the  dead,  if  the  dead  rise  not  at  all?  Why  are  they 
then  baptized  for  the1  dead?"  While  Paul's  argument  is  not 
upon  the  subject  of  baptism  for  the  dead,  why  does  he  thus 


SALVATION  FOR  THE  DEAD.  437 

forcibly  allude  to  this  subject  if  no  such  an  ordinance  belongs 
to  the  Gospel?  The  theologians  of  sectarianism  have  exhausted 
their  ingenuity  in  a  fruitless  effort  to  mystify  or  explain  away 
the  true  meaning  of  this  passage,  for  the  evident  reason  that 
it  strikes  a  deadly  blow  at  their  unjust  dogmas  respecting  the 
eternal  damnation  of  those  who  die  without  the  truth.  The 
plain  meaning  of  the  above  statement  of  Paul  is  that  a  living 
person  receives  baptism  in  behalf  of  those  who  are  dead.  This 
simple  interpretation  was  adopted  by  the  early  writers  on  Chris- 
tianity. Scaliger,  Meyer,  Erasmus,  Calixtus,  De  Witt,  Grotius 
and  others,  counted  as  good  authority,  adopte'd  the  same  view. 

Epiphanius,  in  the  fourth  century,  writing  of  the  Marcionites, 
rmikes  use  of  this  langunge:"A  traditional  fact  concerning  them 
has  reached  us,  that  when  any  of  them  had  died  without 
baptism,  they  used  to  baptize  others  in  their  name,  lest  in 
the  resurrection  they  should  suffer  punishment  ais  ulnbap- 
tized." 

Another  very  emphatic  evidence  that  this  ordinance  was 
practiced  by  the1  ancient  followers  of  Christ  is  that  the  council 
of  Carthage,  A.  D.,  397,  in  Canon  No.  6,  forbids  the  ordinance 
of  baptism  for  the  dead.  Why  would  such  a  decree  be  issued 
against  this  ordinance  if  it  had  no  existe»ce  in  the  Church? 

Having  shown  that  salvation  for  the  dead  is  scriptural  doc- 
trine, adopted  in  theory  and  practice1  by  the  Former-day  Saints, 
let  us  turn  now  to  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times. 

We  have  seen  that  the  mission  of  Christ  to  the  dead  was 
spoken  of  by  Isaiah  in  the  forty-second  chapter.  The  same1 
great  prophet  utters  a  prediction  in  the  twenty-fourth  chapter 
as  follows :  "The  earth  is  also  defiled  under  the  inhabitants 
thereof,  because1  they  have  transgressed  the  laws,  changed  the 
ordinances,  broken  the  everlasting  covenant."  The  context 
shows  clearly  that  this  prophecy  refers  to  the  last  days,  because 
it  predicts  that  "the  inhabitants  of  the  efarth  are  burned  and 
but  few  men  left."  The  term  "everlasting  covenant"  cannot 
refer  to  the  Mosaic  law.  which  existed  under  the  lesser  priest- 
hood. This  law  consisted  in  the  rites  and  ceremonies  cf  the 
offering  of  sacrifice,  pointing  to  the  great  sacrifice  of  the  Mes- 
siah, and  of  the  law  of  carnal  commandments,  which  served, 
Paul  says,  as  a  schoolmaster  to  bring  them  to  Christ.  The 
Mosaic  law  was  done  away  in  Him,  because  he  fulfilled  the  law. 


438  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

It  was  not  everlasting.  Breaking  the  everlasting  covenant 
must,  therefore,  refer  to  an  apostasy  from  the  fullness  of  the 
Gospel  as  instituted  by  the  Savior. 

In  connection  with  this  apostasy  Isaiah  tella  us  in  the  same 
chapter :  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  the 
Lord  shall  punish  the  host  of  the  high  one's  that  are  on  high 
and  the  kings  of  the  earth  upon  the  earth."  And  they  shall 
be  gathered  together  as  prisoners  are  gathered  in  the  pit, 
and  shall  be  shut  up  in  the  prison,  and  after  many  days 
shall  they  be  visited."  In  other  words,  we  might  say 
that  they  have  rejected  the  Gospel  during  the  Christian 
era,  as  the  antediluvians  rejected  it  in  the  days  of  Noah; 
the  judgments  of  God  destroyed  them  in  the  flesh,  and 
their  spirits  were  consigned  to  the  prison  house  and  could 
not  be  visited  until  after  many  days.  Whether  the  Gospel 
tHspeiiastions  in  the  spirit  would  correspond  in  their  divisions 
of  time  to  those  delivered  to  men  in  the  flesh,  we  do  not 
know  so  far  as  preaching  to  the  spirits  in  prison  is  con- 
cerned;  but  this  much  is  evident,  that  when  no  Gospel  dis- 
pensation exists  upon  the  earth,  those  in  the  spirit  world, 
whatever  their  opportunities  to  hear,  cannot  enjoy  the  blessings 
of  the  Gospel,  because  no  one  in  the  flesh  has  authority  to 
receive  the  ordinances  in  their  behalf.  It,  therefore,  follows 
that  the  haughty  ones  spoken  of  by  Isaiah  could  not  receive  the 
Gospel  until  it  should  be  revealed  again  from  heaven  in  the 
latter  days  ;  and  to  fulfill  this  prophecy  such  a  revelation  must 
come,  comprehending  the  keys  of  a  dispensation  of  the  Gospel 
to  the"  dead  as  well  as  to  the  living. 

Malachi,  whose  prophecies  are  the  last  of  those  of  Jewish 
prophets  recorded  in  the  Old  Testament,  in  speaking  of  the 
great  day  of  the  Lord's  second  coming  and  the  judgments  of 
God  which  would  precede1,  utters  the  following  prediction  (Mal- 
achi iv :  5,  6)  :  "Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  prophet 
before  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord ; 
and  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and 
the  heart  of  the  children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I  come  and  smite 
the  earth  with  a  curse."  This  prophecy  is  in  beautiful  ac- 
cord with  that  of  the  apostle  Peter  recorded  in  the  twentieth 
and  twenty-first  verses  of  the  third  chapter  of  Acts:  "And  He 
shall  send  Je'sus  Christ  which  before  was  preached  unto  you ; 


SALVATION  FOB  THE  DEAD.  339 

whom  the  heavens  must  receive  until  the  times  of  restitution  of 
all  things,  which  God  hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  all  His  holy 
prophets  since  the  world  began."  How  different  these  joyful 
words  to  those  of  an  apostate!  Christianity  which  denies  the 
necessity  of  revelation  and  tells  us  that  the  canon  of  Scripture 
is  full ! 

John  the  Baptist,  who  was  the  forerunner  of  the  Messiah 
at  His  first  coming,  was  also  the  forerunner  of  the  higher 
priesthood  in  these?  last  days.  On  the  15th  of  May,  1829, 
he  appeared  to  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery  and  ordained 
them  to  the  Aaronic  priesthood,  the  authority  to  preach  unto 
and  baptize  those  living  in  the  flesh.  Afterwards  came  Peter, 
James  and  John,  with  the  keys  of  the  <Melchisedek  priest- 
hood, embodying  authority  to  administer  all  the  ordinances  of 
the  Gospel  to  men  in  the  flesh.  But  the  prophecy  of  Malachi, 
chapter  iv.,  was  yet  to  be  fulfilled.  On  the  3d  of  April, 
1836,  in  the  Kirtland  Temple,  the  Prophet  Joseph  testified  that 
''Elijah  the  prophet,  who  was  taken  to  heaven  without  tasting 
death,  stood  before  us  and  said :  'Behold  the  time  has  fully 
come  which  was  spoken  of  by  Malachi,  testifying  that  he 
(Elijah)  should  be  sent  before  the  Lord  come  to  turn  the  hearts 
of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  children  to  the  fathers, 
lest  the  whole  earth  be  smitten  with  a  curse.  Therefore,  the 
keys  of  this  dispensation  are  committed  into  your  hands,  and 
by  this  ye  may  know  that  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the 
Lord  is  near,  even  at  the  doors.'  " 

In  connection  with  the  restoration  of  the  keys  of  te'mple  ordi- 
nances by  Elijah,  let  us  contemplate  for  a  few  moments  a  pre- 
diction by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  He  stated  that  the 
Gospel  as  preached  by  the  elders  would  yet  revolutionize  the 
religious  world.  Without  going  into  detail  regarding  the 
application  of  this  prophecy  to  several  principles  of  the  Gospel, 
the  subject  in  hand,  salvation  for  the  dead,  will  clearly  prove 
the  prophecy  correct.  When  Joseph  first  taught  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  dead,  it  was  not  believed,  but  was  ridiculed  by  every 
denomination  of  Christendom,  so  far  as  we  know,  and  by  nearly 
all  the  religious  world  individually;  yet  during  the  past  fifteen 
years  this  doctrine?  has  been  growing  in  favor  in  the  minds  of 
prominent  men.  Dr.  Thomas,  of  the  Methodist  church  in 
Illinois,  was  brought  in  question  a  few  years  ago  by  his 


440  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

dhurch  for  teaching  unorthodox  doctrine,  which  consisted  in 
claiming  that  those  who  did  not  hear  the  Gospel  in  this  world 
would  hear  it  in  the  spirit  world.  There  is  now  a  vast  number 
in  the  various  denominations  that  believe  there  is  hope  for  the 
dead  such  as  was  never  thought  of  before  the  words  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  were  spoken.  Since  the  glorious  visitation  of 
Elijah,  the  Lord  has  revealed  definitely  how  to  conduct  the1 
ordinance  for  the  dead.  He  has  fulfilled  the  words  of  Jere- 
miah that  He  would  take  "one  of  a  city  and  two  of  a  family  and 
bring  them  to  Zion."  It  required  "two  of  a  family,"  or  at  least 
a  male"  and  a  female  representative  of  the  dead,  to  receive  the 
ordinances  of  salvation  for  the  dead  of  their  respective  sexes. 

It  has  'been  related  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher  that  ho  said, 
if  a  literal  rendering  of  the  Scriptures  was  to  be  accepted,  then 
"Morinonisrn"  was  correct.  In  line  with  his  sentiments  on 
this  subject,  it  has  been  reported  that  he  delivered  a  lecture  in 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  his  subject  being,  "What  Christianity 
Has  Done  to  Civilize  the  World,"  in  which  he  said:  "What 
has  Africa  done  for  the  world?  She  has  never  produced  a 
s>age,  a  philosopher,  a  poet  nor  a  prophet,  and  why  not?  Be- 
cause the  name  of  Christ  and  the  influence  of  Christianity  are 
scarcely  known  in  her  dark  regions.  Millions  of  her  children 
have  lived  and  passed  away  without  hearing  the  truth.  What 
will  become  of  them?  Will  they  be  forever  damned?  No,  not 
if  my  God  reigns,  for  they  will  hear  the  gospel  in  the  spirit 
world."  He  then  proceeded  to  show  by  irrefutable  evidence 
that  salvation  for  the  dead  is  a  scriptural  doctrine. 

The  writer  was  not  present  at  the  lecture,  but  another  Lat- 
ter-day Saint  elder  was  present,  and,  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
lecture,  stepped  up  to  the  platform  and  said:  "Mr.  Beecher, 
I  have  been  much  interested  in  your  lecture  and  would  like 
to  ask  you  a  question.  Jesus  said  to  Nicodemus,  'Except  a 
man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit  he  cannot  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God.'  Now,  how  is  it  possible  for  a  man  to 
be  baptized  in  water  when  his  body  has  already  crumbled  in 
the  earth?"  The  great  preacher  looked  at  the  interrogator 
for  a  moment  and  then  said:  "Young  man,  where  do  you  hail 
from?"  "From  the  West."  "From  what  part  of  the  West?" 
"From  Salt  Lake  City,"  answered  the  Elder.  "Oh,"  said  Mr. 
Beecher,  "you  may  answer  your  own  question.  Good  even- 


SALVATION   FOB  THE   DEAD.  441 

ing,"  and  walked  away.  Mr.  Beecher  probably  had  read 
enough  on  the  subject  of  baptism  for  the  dead  to  know  that 
such  a  doctrine  must  be  coupled  with  preaching  to  departed 
spirits,  but  he  did  not  wish  to  be  accused  of  teaching  "Mor- 
monism,"  so  he  stopped  short  of  that.  He  said  enough,  how- 
ever, to  verify  the  words  of  Joseph  Smith,  and  also  those  of 
the  Savior,  when  He  said  that  if  men  put  new  wine  into  old 
bottles  it  would  break  them  to  pieces;  in  other  words,  new  doc- 
trine into  old  systems. 

Other  instances  might  be  cited,  but  this  will  suffice  to  illus- 
trate how  the  influence  of  the  Gospel  is  working  among  the 
children  of  men. 

We  now  come  to  one  of  the  most  important,  interesting  and 
extensive  branches  of  this  great  subject,  namely,'  that  of  secur- 
ing the  names,  births,  marriages  and  deaths  of  our  ancestors, 
a  class  of  information  essential  for  record  in  order  to  prosecute 
this  great  work  of  salvation  for  the  dead.  The  genealogical 
research  must  be  an  arduous  one  and  ofttimes  attended  with 
great  difficulty. 

Nathaniel  H.  Morgan,  author  of  a  genealogical  history  en- 
titled "James  Morgan  and  His  Descendants,"  makes  this  ob- 
servation in  the  introduction  of  his  work:  "The  task  of  the 
genealogist,  in  groping  his  way  amid  the  dusty  records  of  the 
past,  is  much  like  that  of  the  African  Indians  in  pursuing  an 
obscure  trail  through  a  tangled  widerness.  An  acute  faculty 
of  perception  and  a  keen  and  practiced  eye  must  note  and 
scrutinize  every  obscure  footprint,  every  rustled  leaf,  every 
bent  twig;  now,  progressing  rapidly,  under  a  clear  light,  and 
guided  by  sure  tokens;  and  anon,  suddenly  arrested  by  a  total 
absence  of  all  further  signs,  and  forced  hopelessly  to  abandon 
the  trail  long  and  patiently  pursued  until,  perchance,  again 
some  new  and  unexpected  waymark  greets  his  eye,  inspiring 
fresh  pursuit." 

While  then-  have  been  isolated  instances  of  genealogical 
works  in  America  since  the  year  1771,  it  is  a  noteworthy  fact 
(and  one  showing  the  hand  of  God  plainly  manifest  in  moving 
upon  the  Gentiles  to  do  this  work)  that  since  the  coming  of 
Elijah  to  the  Kirtland  Temple,  this  spirit  of  writing  genealo- 
gies has  rapidly  increased  in  the  United  States. 


442  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

I  cannot  do  better  at  this  juncture  than  to  include  as  a  part 
of  our  article  a  letter  written  to  the  writer  by  Elder  Franklin 
D.  Richards  on  this  important  subject.  Elder  Richards, 
through  his  researches,  has  been  instrumental  in  furnishing 
printed  genealogies  to  many  families  of  Latter-day  Saints. 
He  says,  under  date  of  Nov.  29th,  1805: 

"In  answer  to  your  question  when  the  first  genealogical 
history  was  published,  either  in  this  country  or  in  foreign 
nations,  I  must  say  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  answer,  as  I 
have  not  searched  the  libraries  of  Europe  or  of  any  foreign 
countries  to  learn  when  their  first  genealogies  were  published; 
but,  narrowing  your  question  down  to  this  country,  I  may 
say  that  tlhe  first  that  we  have  any  account  of  was  published 
in  1771,  consisting  of  twenty-four  pages  and  was  'A  genealogy 
of  the  family  of  Mr.  Samuel  Stebbins  and  Hannah  Stefobins, 
his  wife,  from  the  year  1707  to  the  year  1771,  with  their 
names,  time  of  their  births,  marriages  and  deaths  of  those 
tha:  *re  deceased,'  published  at  Hartford  in  1771.  The  author, 
Mr.  William  H.  Whitmore,  says:  'This  I  believe  to  be  the 
earliest  genealogy  in  a  distinct  form  published  in  the  United 
States.'  It  is  safe  to  conclude  that  an  interest  in  genealogical 
work  did  not  take  very  deep  root  among  the  people  until  after 
the  Lord  revealed  to  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  the  great  work 
of  extending  salvation  to  the  dead.  This  is  made  evident  from 
the  dates  noted  in  the  following  excerpts  taken  from  works 
on  genealogical  lore,  published  in  Boston  and  Albany.  In  the 
introduction  of  a  work  entitled  'The  American  Genealogist,' 
by  William  H.  Whitmore,  and  published  by  Joel  Munsell, 
Albany,  1868,  the  following  very  interesting  pages  occur,  in 
which  you  will  observe  the  years  1844  (the  year  of  the 
Prophet's  martyrdom)  and  1847  are  named  as  the  respective 
dates  when  the  New  England  Historical  Genealogical  Society 
was  formed,  and  the  'Register'  was  established  under  its 
patronage. 

"It  seems  evident  that  the  English  element  has  predominated 
throughout  our  country,  and  the  greater  portion  of  English 
colonists  settled  in  New  England.  Hence  the  great  activity 
of  genealogists  there  has  had  more  than  a  local  importance, 
and  will  be  the  means  of  preserving  the  records  of  the  greater 
portion  of  our  nation.  There  is  difficulty  in  tracing  the  Ameri- 


SALVATION  FOR  THE  DEAD.  443 

can  pedigree  of  any  family.  Mr.  Savage's  admirable  dictionary 
will  furnish  the  inquirer  with  the  first  three  generations  of 
the  name,  and  the  indices  of  the  register  will  enable  him  to 
examine  numerous  town  and  county  records1.  There  are  very 
few  names  which  will  not  be  found  in  one  or  the  other  of 
these  easily  accessible  works.  The  county  registers  of  wills 
and  deeds  are  open  to  every  inquirer,  free  of  expense,  and  it 
is  rarely  that  any  town  clerk  demands  a  fee  for  the  inspection 
of  his  books.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  nowhere  else  is  the  genealo- 
gist so  favored  as  in  New  England,  and  consequently  no  com- 
munity exists  where  so  great  a  proportion  of  its  families  have 
had  their  records  preserved. 

"We  have  been  fortunate  in  our  historical  records  from  the 
first.  Bradford  and  Winthrop  have  noted  down  even  the  minute 
particulars  of  the  settlement  of  their  respective  colonies; 
Mather  and  Prince  have  given  us  numerous  items  concerning 
the  lives  and  pedigrees  of  the  clergy  and  magistrates.  In 
establishing  the  registry  of  deeds,  our  forefathers  not  only 
were  in  advance  of  England  in  political  science,  but  they  gave 
the  genealogist  a  source  of  information  elsewhere  wanting. 

"Very  soon  after  the  Revolutionary  war  an  effort  was  made 
to  revive  the  former  taste  for  historical  research.  The  Mas- 
sachusetts Historical  Society  was  formed,  and  has  continued 
slowly  to  acquire  wealth  and  influence,  having  greatly  ex- 
tended its  usefulness  within  the  past  ten  years.  John  Farmer, 
secretary  of  the  New  Hampshire  Historical  Society,  early 
devoted  himself  to  the  study  of  genealogy  and  biography,  and 
by  his  genealogical  register  attracted  public  attention  to  the 
subject.  Our  list  will  show  that  but  little  progress  was  made 
for  thirty  years  from  the  time  he  issued  his  Farmer  genealogy, 
but  enough  was  done  to  keep  the  fire  alive.  In  1844,  the 
Register  was  established  under  his  patronage;  since  then  the 
study  of  history  and  genealogy  has  been  greatly  encouraged, 
and  with  good  results.  When  the  new  society  was  formed  the 
science  of  genealogy  was  little  understood.  The  wealth  of 
our  records  was  hardly  imagined,  the  necessity  of  severe  ex- 
amination of  traditions  scarcely  thought  of,  and  the  simplest 
and  most  economical  form  of  arrangement  was  not  yet  in- 
vented. Soon,  however,  all  these  points  were  examined,  old 
manuscript  published,  and  the  State  authorities  were  persuaded 


444  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

to  enact  laws  for  the  preservation  of  its  documents.  Since 
1843  numerous  local  societies  have  been  established  or  revived; 
over  two  hundred  distinct  works  on  genealogy  have  been  pub- 
lished up  to  18GS,  and  innumerable  town  histories  and  histori- 
cal pamphlets  have  been,  issued.  In  many  instances  these 
results  have  been  known  to  be  due  to  the  establishment  of  the 
new  societies,  and  it  is  unquestionable  that  the  spirit  it  fos- 
tered has  been  the  mainspring  in  all.  Massachusetts,  Con- 
necticut and  Rhode  Island  have  issued  large  volumes  of  their 
early  annals,  under  the  patronage  of  the  respective  govern- 
ments. Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont  possess  active 
historical  societies.  New  York  has  not  only  published  her  own 
records  but  assisted  her  neighbors,  and  established  the  largest 
and  richest  historical  society  in  existence.  Similar  associa- 
tions exist  in  more  than  half  the  States  in  the  Union,  and  a 
new  magazine,  the  "American  Notes  and  Queries,"  established 
as  their  organ,  has  continued  to  the  present  time.  Circular 
No.  3  of  the  New  England  Historic  Genealogical  Society,  is- 
sued June,  1847,  signed  by  the  following  gentlemen,  viz: 
Charles  Ewer,  Lemuel  Shartuck,  Samuel  G-.  Drake,  Samuel 
H.  Riddle  and  W.  H.  Montague,  treats  of  the  great  importance 
which  they  attach  to  genealogical  and  historical  work  and 
works;  and  in  this  connection  I  may  be  permitted  to  suggest 
that  what  appealed  so  directly  to  their  needs  in  those  early 
times  applies  with  much  greater  force  to  the  Saints  of  the 
Latter  Days,  who  are  clearly  and  pleasurably  made  aware 
of  the  glorious  relationship  which  exists  between  parents  and 
children  and  the  vital  obligations  the  living  are  under  to  the 
dead.  These  intimations,  no  doubt  you  will  appreciate,  and 
when  time  and  opportunity  permit  let  us  hope  that  you  will 
actively  take  pleasure  in  promoting  the  aims  of  the  Genealogi- 
cal Society  of  Utah,  which  was  especially  organized  to  advance 
temple  work,  which  includes  the  salvation  and  redemption  of 
both  dead  and  living.  F.'D.  RICHARDS." 


With  all  these  prophecies  before  us,  with  the  keys  of  salva- 
tion restored  to  the  earth,  with  the  spirit  of  Elijah  moving 
not  only  the  Saints  but  men  of  the  world  to  action,  who  can 
fail  to  see  the  truth  of  this  doctrine  and  the  power  of  God 


SALVATION   FOR   THE  DEAD.  445 

made  manifest  to  promote  the  great  work  of  salvation  for  the 
dead? 

In  conclusion,  let  us  heed  the  voice  of  God  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph,  saying,  "Therefore  renounce  war  and  proclaim  peace 
and  seek  diligently  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  children  to  the 
fathers  and  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the  children;"  and  the 
exhortation  to  us  of  the  prophet  who  received  this  command- 
ment, "Brethren,  shall  we  not  go  on  in  so  great  a  cause?  Go 
forward  and  not  backward.  Courage,  brethren  and  on,  on  to 
victory!  Let  your  hearts  rejoice,  and  be  exceedingly  glad. 
Let  the  earth  break  forth  into  singing.  Let  the  dead  speak 
forth  anthems  of  eternal  praise  to  the  King  Immanuel,  who 
hath  ordained  before  the  world  was,  that  which  would  enable 
us  to  redeem  them  out  of  their  prison;  for  the  prisoners  shall 
go  free." 


THE  GATHERING  OF  ISRAEL. 

This  subject  is  of  great  moment.  It  should  interest  all 
people,  Jew  and  Gentile,  especially  those  who  profess  Judaism 
and  Christianity.  It  involves  several  features  which  affect  the 
claims  made  by  the  Latter-day  Saints  that  more  revelation  has 
been  given  and  that  the  gospel  has  bee/n  restored  in  these,  the 
last  days.  The  solution  of  this  question  involves  the  fulfillment 
of  many  prophecies  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

The  trend  of  the  teachings  of  modern  Christianity  is  such  as 
to  keep,  from  the  human  mind,  the  idea  that  the  Lord  is  a  prac- 
tical being  and  has  anything  whatever  to  do  with  the  temporal 
affairs  of  the  children  of  men.  Yet  by  a  careful  reading  of  the1 
Scriptures  it  is  readily  seen  that  God  designated  various  por- 
tions of  the  earth  to  be  occupied  by  different  bodies  of  His 
children.  He  gave*  Palestine  to  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and 
designated  where  the  children  of  Esau  and  other  races  should 
dwell.  This  truth  is  beautifully  expressed  by  the  apostle  Paul 
in  Acts  xvii :  26,  as  follows :  "And  hath  made  of  one  blood  all 
nations  of  men  for  to  dwell  on  all  the?  face  of  the  earth,  and  hath 
determined  the  times  before  appointed  and  the  bounds  of  their 
habitation." 

To  make  this  subject  clear  to  the  reader,  we  will  first  show 
that  the  seefd  of  Abraham  were  promised  certain  countries,  that 
they  once  occupied  those  promised  lands,  and  were  driven  and 
scattered  from  them.  Hence,  in  order  to  receive  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  promise  regarding  their  inheritance,  they  must  of 
necessity  be  gathered  home  from  their  long  dispersion. 

In  Genesis  xiii:  14,  15,  we  have  the  following:  "And  the 
Lord  said  unto  Abraham  after  that  Lot  was  separated  from  him, 
Lift  up  now  thine  eyes,  and  look  from  the"  place  where  thou  art 
northward,  and  southward,  and  eastward,  and  westward  ;  for 
all  the  land  which  thou  seest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy 
seed  forever."  This  promise  was  renewed  to  his  son  Isaac,  as 
recorded  in  Genesis  xxvi:  2,  3:  "And  the  Lord  appeared  unto 
him  and  said,  Go  not  down  into  Egypt ;  dwell  in  the  land  which 


THE  GATHERING  OF  ISRAEL.  447 

I  shall  tell  thee  of;  sojourn  in  this  land,  and  1  will  be  with 
thee1,  and  will  bless  thee ;  for  unto  thee  and  unto  thy  seed  I  will 
give  all  these  countries,  and  I  will  perform  the  oath  which  I 
sware  unto  Abraham,  thy  father."  And  again,  the  promise 
was  made  to  Jacob,  the  father  of  the  twelve  tribe's  of  Israel. 
In  Gen.  xlviii :  3,  4,  it  is  said :  "And  Jacob  said  unto  Joseph, 
God  Almighty  appeared  unto  me  at  Luz,  in  the  land  of  Canaan, 
and  blessed  me.  And  said  unto  me,  Behold  I  will  make  thee 
fruitful  and  multiply  thee,  and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  multitude 
of  people ;  and  will  give  this  land  to  thy  seed  after  thee  for  an 
everlasting  possession." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  make  special  quotations  to  prove  to 
Bible  readers  that  the  tribes  of  Israel  were  led  into  the  land  of 
Palestine  in  the  days  of  the  prophet  Joshua,  and  under  his  ad- 
ministration received  their  respective  inheritances  in  the  prom- 
ised land. 

On  reading  the  forty-ninth  chapter  of  Genesis  we  find  a  brief 
statement  of  the  blessings  pronounced  by  the  great  patriarch 
upon  his  twelve  sons.  In  blessing  Joseph  it  is  plainly  indicated 
that  his  seed  was  "a  fruitful  bough  by  a  well,  whose  branches 
run  over  the  wall;"  in  other  words,  his  posterity  should  re- 
ceive a  land  beyond  the  limits  which  bound  the  country  occupied 
by  the  other  tribes  of  Israel.  This  view  is  corroborated  by  the 
thirty-third  chapter  of  Deuteronomy,  in  the  blessing  and  proph- 
ecy of  Moses  upon  the  head  of  the  tribe  of  Joseph. 

The  descriptions  of  the  land  of  Joseph,  given  in  these  two 
chapters,  together  with  the  other  passages  of  Holy  Writ,  show 
that  the  land  of  Joseph  was  no  less  than  the  Western  Hemi- 
sphere, known  to  us  as  North  and  South  America.  It  is  well 
known  that  the  tribes  of  Israel  occupied  the  promised  land  from 
generation  to  generation,  until  through  apostasy  and  trans- 
gression nearly  all  the  tribes  were  carried  into  captivity  long 
before  the  advent  of  the  Messiah.  When  He  came  the  land  was 
occupied  chiefly  by  the  tribe  of  Judah,  which  was  subsequently 
scattered  among  the  various  nations  of  the  earth. 

The  Lord  plainly  warned  the  house  of  Israel  that,  to  enjoy 
His  blessings  and  to  remain  unmolested  in  the  land  of  their 
fathers,  they  must  keep  His  commandments.  If  they  did  not, 
this  was  to  follow:  "And  I  will  bring  the  land  into  desola- 
tion ;  and  your  enemies  which  dwell  therein  shall  be  astonished 


448  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTKINE. 

at  it.  And  I  will  scatter  you  among  the  heathen,  and  will 
draw  out  a  sword  after  you,  and  your  land  shall  be  desolate  and 
your  cities  waste."  (Lev.  xxvi :  32,  33.)  Very  much  like 
this  prophecy  are  the  sacred  words  of  the  Messiah,  spoken  1500 
years  later :  "For  there  shall  be  great  distress  in  the  land,  and 
wrath  upon  this  people.  And  they  shall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the 
sword,  and  shall  be  led  away  captive  into  all  nations:  And 
Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  of  the  Gentiles,  until  the  times 
of  the  Gentiles  be"  fulfilled."  (Luke  xxi :  23,  24.) 

It  is  also  stated  in  Dent,  xxviii:  63-65:  "And  ye  shall 
be  plucked  from  off  the  land  whither  thou  goest  to  pos- 
sess it.  And  the  Lord  shall  scatter  th-ee  among  all  people, 
from  the  one"  end  of  the  earth  even  unto  the  other ;  and  there 
thou  shalt  serve  other  gods  which  neither  thou  nor  thy  fathers 
have  known,  even  wood  and  stone.  And  among  these  nations 
shalt  thou  find  no  ease,  neither  shall  the  sole  of  thy  feet  have 
rest ;  but  the  Lord  shall  give  thee  there  a  trembling  heart,  and 
failing  of  eyes,  and  sorrow  of  mind." 

History  records  beyond  the"  possibility  of  a  doubt  how  literally 
and  terribly  the  various  clauses  in  these  predictions  have  been 
fulfilled.  Israel  has  been  scattered,  and  Judah  has  been  perse- 
cuted and  oppressed  and  become  a  hiss  and  a  byword  in  the 
mouths  of  all  the  Gentile  nations. 

With  the  sacred  promises  before  us,  that  Israel  should  receive 
those  countries  and  the  history  which  proves  that  they  were 
scattered  and  are  still  unreturned  to  their  promised  land,  we 
must  be  convinced,  if  nothing  were  said  in  the  Scriptures  of  the 
restoration,  that  Israel  must  be  gathered  and  re-established  in 
the  land  of  their  fathers  or  the  promises  of  the"  Almighty  would 
come  to  naught.  We  are  not  left,  however,  without  predictions 
which  specify,  in  considerable  detail,  that  the  chosen  people 
shall  be  gathered  and  the  circumstances  and  signs  of  the  times 
associated  with  the  gathering  of  Israel  in  the  last  days. 

Four  hundred  and  forty-six  years  before  Christ,  the  prophet 
Nehemiah,  bowing  down  in  sorrow  because  of  this  scattering 
and  destruction  of  his  people,  besought  the  Lord  in  humble  sup- 
plication, thus :  "Remember,  I  beseech  thee,  the*  word  that 
thou  commandest  thy  servant  Moses,  saying,  If  ye  transgress,  I 
will  scatter  you  abroad  mong  the  nations ;  but  if  ye  turn  unto 
me,  and  keep  my  commandments  and  do  them;  though  there 


THE   GATHERING   OF   ISRAEL.  449 

were  of  you  cast  out  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  heaven,  yet 
will  I  gather  them  from  thence,  and  will  bring  them  unto  the 
place  that  I  have  chosen  to  set  my  name  there."  (Neh.  i :  8,  9.) 

The  psalmist  David  said  (Psalms  1:5):  "Gather  my  saints 
together  unto  me ;  those  that  have  made  a  covenant  with  me  by 
sacrifice."  The  context  of  this  psalm  shows  plainly  that  the 
fulfillment  of  the  words  quoted  should  take  place  in  the"  last 
days,  near  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  God.  Those 
who  should  be  called  saints  would  be  required  to  sacrifice  the 
associations  of  their  native  lands  as  Abraham  was  when  called 
upon  to  turn  aside  from  the  false  religion  of  his  fathers  and  go 
to  a  land  into  which  the  Lord  should  lead  him.  The  Latter-day 
Saints  have  made  a  covenant  with  God,  and  through  self-denial 
are  gathering  together  in  fulfillment  of  the  words  of  David  the 
psalmist. 

Another  prophecy  from  the  same  book  is  as  follows  :  "O 
give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  for  He  is  good ;  for  His  mercy  en- 
dureth  forever.  Let  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord  say  so,  whom 
He  hath  redeemed  from  the  hand  of  the  enemy ;  and  gathered 
them  out  of  the  lands,  from  the  east,  and  from  the  west,  and 
from  the  north,  and  from  the  south.  They  wandered  in  the 
wilderness  in  a  solitary  way ;  they  found  no  city  to  dwell  in. 
Hungry  and  thirsty,  their  souls  fainted  in  them.  Thefy  cried 
unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble  and  He  delivered  them  out  of 
their  distresses." 

The  provisions  of  this  prophecy  have  been  and  are  being 
ve'rified  in  the  gathering  of  the  Saints  to  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
In  Isaiah  ii :  2,  3,  we  have  the  following  prediction :  "And  it 
shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days  that  the  mountain  of  the 
Lord's  house  shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the  mountains, 
and  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills ;  and  all  nations  shall  flow 
unto  it.  And  many  people  shall  go  and  say,  Come'  ye,  and  let 
us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the  house  of  the  God  of 
Jacob ;  and  He  will  teach  us  of  His  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in 
His  paths ;  for  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law  and  the  word 
of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem."  This  prediction  isi  too  plain  to 
be  mistaken  when  it  is  fulfilled.  This  prophecy  was  not  ful- 
iille'd  at  the  coming  of  the  Messiah,  neither  before  nor  since  His 
time,  but  it  is  being  fulfilled  in  the  gathering  of  the  Latter-day 
Saints.  They  have  established  the  house  of  the  Lord  in  a 
27 


450  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

mountainous  country ;  many  people  are  gathering  to  it,  their 
object  being  to  le"arn  the  ways  of  the  Lord  that  they  may  more 
perfectly  walk  in  His  paths.  This  prediction  should  be  verified 
at  a  time  near  which  people  should  beat  their  swords  into  plow- 
shares and  their  spears  into  pruning  hooks ;  "neither  shall  they 
learn  war  any  more,"  as  shown  by  the  verse  following  those  we 
have  quoted. 

Micah,  fifty  years  after  this,  uttered  a  similar  prophecy,  in 
almost  the  same  language,  as  will  be  found  in  the  first  and  sec- 
ond verses  of  his  fourth  chapter. 

Another  prophecy  of  Isaiah  on  this  subject  will  be  found  in 
chapter  five,  twenty-sixth  and  twenty-seventh  verses.  It  reads 
as  follows :  "And  He  will  lift  up  an  ensign  to  the  nations  from 
afar,  and  will  hiss  unto  them  from  the  end  of  the  earth ;  and 
behold,  they  shall  come  with  speed  swiftly ;  none  sihall  be  weary 
nor  stumble  among  them  ;  none  shall  slumber  nor  sleep  ;  neither 
shall  the  girdle  of  their  loins  be  loosed  nor  the  latchet  of  their 
shoes  be  broken."  The  wording  of  this,  in  connection  with 
verses  which  follow,  seems  plainly  to  have  its  fulfillment  in  the 
manner  of  travel  by  which  the  Saints  are  being  and  shall  be 
gathered  to  the  place  appointed.  They  come  by  railroad,  "with 
speed  swiftly,"  which  prevents  them,  in  a  great  measure,  from 
stumbling  or  becoming  weary  by  the  way.  Notice  that  the 
words  of  this  prediction,  that  the  ensign  was  to  be  set  up  from 
afar,  undoubtedly  indicate  a  far  distant  land  from  the  place 
where  Isaiah  stood  when  he  uttered  the  prophecy.  He  stood 
upon  the  Eastern  Hemisphere ;  America  was  far  distant,  and 
upon  this  land  the  ensign  has  been  lifted  up.  Is  it  not  an 
ensign  to  the  nations?  The  authority  of  God,  the  house  of  the 
Lord,  where  the1  nations  of  the  earth  are  invited  to  repent  of 
their  sins  and  freely  partake  of  the  blessings  to  be  obtained 
where  the  ensign  is  established,  surely  are  such. 

A  prediction  very  similar  to  the"  foregoing  in  its  provisions 
was  uttered  by  the  same  prophet  and  is  contained  in  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  his  book,  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  verses :  "And  it 
shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  Lord  shall  set  His  hand 
again  the  second  time  to  recover  the  remnant  of  His  people, 
which  shall  be  left,  from  Assyria,  and  from  Egypt,  and  from 
Pathros,  and  from  Ous'h,  and  from  Elam,  and  from  Shinar,  and 
from  Hamath,  and  from  the  islands  of  the  sea.  And  He  shall 


THE  GATHERING  OF  ISRAEL.  451 

set  up  an  ensign  for  the  nations,  and  shall  assemble  the"  out- 
casts of  Israel,  and  gather  together  the  dispersed  of  Judah  from 
the  four  corners  of  the  earth." 

These  prophecies  could  not  be"  fulfilled  short  of  bestowing 
more  revelation  upon  the  children  of  men  to  show  them  how, 
where  and  when  these  great  events  should  be  accomplished. 

We  have  quoted  from  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Isaiah,  in  the 
twelfth  verse1  of  which  this  language  is  used :  "And  shall 
assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  and  gather  together  the  disf- 
persed  of  Judah."  It  will  be  noticed  that  the  word  outcasts 
applies  to  Israel,  which  means  that  Israel  was  cast  out  from 
the  knowledge  of  the  Gentile  nations,  while  the  seed  of  Judah 
wag  scattered  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  The  reason  dis- 
tinction is  made  between  Israel  and  Judah,  when  Judah  was  one 
of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  is  that  in  the  days  of  David  and  Solomon 
the  Lord  divided  the"  kingdom  of  Israel,  making  Judah  one  dis- 
tinct nation  and  the  remaining  tribes  another  distinct  nation, 
having  two  separate  kings.  The  tribes  of  Israel  were  led  away 
into  the  north  country,  and  became  lost  to  the  knowledge  of  the1 
world,  while  Judah  and  a  portion  of  Ephraim  remained  in  Pales>- 
tine,  and  were  scattered  among  the  nations.  This  is  why  the 
prophet  applies  the  word  "outcast"  to  Israel  and  the  word  "dis- 
persed" to  the  tribes  of  Judah. 

Zechariah  the  prophet  says :  "Ho,  ho,  come  forth,  and  flee 
from  the  land  of  the  north."  (Zech.  ii :  6.)  This  return  of 
the  tribes  of  Israel  from  the1  land  of  the  north  will  be  attended 
with  much  miraculous  power.  The  miracles  wrought  in  the 
days  of  Moses  will  not  be  the  reference  made  by  Israel  to  show 
the  power  of  God  in  their  behalf,  but  this  prophecy  will  be  ful- 
filled :  "Therefore,  behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that 
it  shall  no  more  be  said,  the  Lord  liveth  that  brought  up  the 
children  of  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt;  But  the  Lord  liveth 
that  brought  up  the  Children  of  Israel  from  the  land  of  the 
north,  and  from  all  the  lands  whither  He  had  driven  them: 
and  I  will  bring  them  again  into  their  land  that  I  gave  unto 
their  fathers."  (Jer.  xvi :  14,  15.) 

One  ve'ry  interesting  feature  associated  with  the  gathering  of 
Israel  in  the  last  days  is  expressed  in  the  sixteenth  verse  of  the 
same  chapter,  as  follows :  "Behold,  I  will  send  for  many 
fishers,  saith  the  Lord,  and  they  shall  fish  them ;  and  after  will 
I  send  for  many  hunters,  and  they  shall  hunt  them  from  every 


452  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

mountain,  and  from  every  hill,  and  out  of  the  holes  of  the 
rocks."  When  men  engage  in  fishing  they  cast  their  lines  into 
the  water,  and  know  not  until  drawn  to  shore  whether  the  fish 
caught  be  of  one  kind  or  another ;  but  when  they  go  hunting 
they  know  exactly  the  game  they  shoot  at,  whether  it  is  a  lion 
or  a  tiger,  a  buffalo  or  a  deer.  This  Scripture  is  fulfilled  in  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Gentile  nations  by  the  elders 
of  Israel ;  it  is  not  known  by  them  whether  the  person  who  em- 
braces the  Gospel  and  gathers  to  Zion  is  of  the  blood  of  Israel,  a 
Gentile  or  otherwise,  until  it  is  made1  known  by  the  light  of 
revelation.  This,  then,  is  as  casting  the  Gospel  net  into  tfhe 
sea,  which  gathers  of  all  kinds,  who  remain  together  until  the 
bad  are  separated  from  the"  good  and  cast  back  into  the  sea. 

Isaiah  says,  in  chapter  xxvii :  12,  "Ye  shall  be  gathered  one 
by  one,  O  ye  children  of  Israel."  This  is  corroborated  in  the 
third  chapter  of  Jeremiah,  fourteenth  and  fifteen  verses,  which 
read :  "I  will  take  you  one  of  a  city,  and  two  of  a  family,  and 
I  will  bring  you  to  Zion ;  and  I  will  give  you  pastors  according 
to  mine  heart,  which  shall,  feed  you  with  knowledge  and  under- 
standing." 

How  strikingly  true  it  is  that  in  this  dispensation  only  one  or 
two,  in  many  instances,  of  a  numerous  family,  receive  the  truth. 
And  frequently  but  one,  or  very  few,  in  a  whole  city.  But 
these,  when  they  receive  the"  Holy  Spirit  through  embracing  the 
Gospel,  at  the  hands  of  inspired  and  divinely  authorized  men, 
are  filled  with  a  desire  to  gather  to  Zion,  and  there  are1  taught 
by  pastors  "called  of  God  as  was  Aaron." 

A  prophcy  very  like  the  foregoing  is  found  in  the  eighteenth 
chapter  of  Revelations,  fourth  and  fifth  verse's :  "And  I  heard 
another  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  Come  out  of  her,  my  people, 
that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of 
he'r  plagues.  For  ner  sins  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  God 
hath  remembered  her  iniquities."  That  they  are  out  of  Babylon 
is  made  clear  by  the  verses  preceding  the  ones  quoted.  Babylon 
signifies  confusion,  and  is  shown  in  the  preceding  chapter  of 
Revelation  to  apply  to  "people  and  multitudes,  and  nations  and 
tongues."  Should  there  be  among  the  nations  of  the  earth  any 
class  of  people  professing  to  be  the  Saints  of  God,  yet  who  have 
no  desire  to  gather  from  Babylon  in  order  to  avoid  her  sins  and 
thus  escape  her  plagues,  it  would  'be  proof  that  they  had  not  re- 


THE  GATHERING  OF  ISRAEL.  453 

ceived,  in  spirit  and  truth,  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Another  prophecy  bearing  upon  the  return  of  the  tribes  from 
the  north,  as  well  as  those  scattered  among  the  nations,  is  found 
in  Jer.  xxxi :  8,  9,  10 :  "Behold,  I  will  bring  them  from  the 
north  country,  and  gathe'r  them  from  the  coasts  of  the  earth, 
and  with  them  the  blind  and  the  lame,  the  woman  with  child, 
and  her  that  travaileth  with  child  together:  A  great  company 
shall  return  thither.  They  shall  come  with  weeping,  and  with 
supplications  will  I  lead  them ;  I  will  cause  them  to  walk  by 
the1  rivers  of  waters  in  a  straight  way,  wherein  they  shall  not 
stumble;  for  I  am  a  Father  to  Israel,  and  Ephraim  is  my  first 
born.  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  O  ye  nations,  and  declare  it  in 
the  isles  afar  off,  and  say,  He  that  scattered  Israel  will  gather 
him,  and  keep  him,  as  a  shepherd  doe's  his  flock."  In  the 
twelfth  verse  it  says,  "Therefore  they  shall  come  and  sing  in  the 
height  of  Zion."  This  latter  clause  in  the  prophecy  shows  that 
the  place  of  the'ir  gathering  shall  be  an  elevated  region  of  coun- 
try. In  some  instances  the  term  Zion  is  used  with  reference  to 
a  place  or  land,  as  shown  in  the  sixty-second  chapter  of  Isaiah, 
which  the  reader  can  refer  to  at  leisure.  And  in  other  instances 
the  word  applies  to  a  people.  Modern  revelation  through  the 
prophet  Joseph  Smith  says :  "This  is  Zion,  the  pure  in  heart." 
Using  the  word  in  this  sense",  light  is  thrown  upon  the  foregoing 
prophecy  of  Jeremiah  by  one  found  in  Isaiah  xl :  9 :  "O  Zion, 
that  bringest  good  tidings,  get  thee  up  into  the  high  mountain." 
This  would  not  have  been  verified  if  the  Saints  of  latter  days 
had  remained  in  a  scattered  condition  among  the  nations,  or 
even  in  the  lower  regions  first  occupied  by  them  in  the  United 
States,  for  America  is  the  land  of  Zion.  The  great  events 
which  go  to  make  up  the  history  of  the"  Latter-day  Saints1  fur- 
nish indisputable  evidence  that  they  were  led  there  by  the  hand 
of  God,  and  that,  too,  in  fulfillment  of  ancient  and  modern 
prophecy. 

In  reference  to  the  saints  being  led  by  the  rivers  of  water  in 
a  straight  way,  Isaiah  has  a  similar  prophecy,  contained  in  the 
thirty-second  chapter,  eighteenth,  nineteenth  and  twentieth 
verses :  "And  my  people  shall  dwell  in  a  peaceable  habitation, 
and  in  sure  dwellings,  and  in  quiet  resting  places ;  when  it  shall 
hail,  coming  down  on  the  forests ;  and  the"  city  shall  be  low  in 
a  low  place.  Blessed  are  ye  that  sow  beside  all  waters,  that 


454  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

send  forth  thither  the  feet  of  the  ox,  and  the  ass."  The  prophets 
foresaw  that  the1  gathering  place  of  the  saints  should  be  in  a 
section  of  the  country  where  the  rains  should  not  be  abundant, 
and  for  that  reason  they  would  plant  beside  all  waters,  that  the 
system  of  irrigation  might  be  employed  to  water  the  crops  of  the 
e'arth,  and  through  this  also  that  grasses  and  other  vegetation 
might  be  provided  for  their  domestic  animals.  It  is  also  an  in- 
teresting fact  that  the  cities  built  by  the  Saints  in  the  valleys, 
in  comparison  with  the  summit  of  the  snow-capped  mountains 
around  them,  are  situated  in  low  places,  so  that  many  times 
when  the  hail  come's  down  in  fury  upon  the  mountain  forests 
above,  the  city  is  free  from  storm. 

One  feature  of  the  pleasantness  which  characterizes  the 
Saints  of  God  is  their  custom,  in  their  mountain  homes,  of  com- 
ing together  in  a  social  capacity  and  joining  in  the1  dance.  In 
this  capacity,  as  in  gatherings  of  more  weighty  importance,  the 
old  and  the  young,  male  and  female,  mingle  together,  that  par- 
ents may  rejoice  in  the  innocent  recreation  of  their  children 
and  that  the  children  may  be  under  the  guiding  influence  of  their 
parents.  Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  the  world,  eve'n  to  those 
professing  Christianity  and  a  consequent  belief  in  the  Bible, 
such  a  condition  is  in  fulfillment  of  sacre'd  prophecy  found  in  the 
thirteenth  verse  of  the  thirty-first  chapter  of  Jeremiah,  which 
reads  as  follows :  "Then  shall  the  virgin  rejoice  in  the  dance, 
both  young  men  and  old  together ;  for  I  will  turn  their  mourn- 
ing into  joy,  and  will  comfort  the'm,  and  make  them  rejoice  from 
their  sorrow."  This  was  to  be  at  the  time  of  their  getting  up 
into  the  high  mountains,  and  expressing  their  praises  to  the 
Almighty  in  the  heights  of  Zion. 

Olosely  connected  with  the  foregoing  prophecie's  is  one  found 
in  Isaiah,  thirty-fifth  chapter,  first  and  tenth  verses :  "The 
wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for  them;  and 
the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose.  And  the  ran- 
somed of  the  Lord  shall  return,  and  come  to  Zion  with  songs  and 
everlasting  joy  upon  their  headsi;  they  shall  obtain  joy  and 
gladness,  and  sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away."  Almost  the 
entire  chapter  has  a  bearing  upon  this  subject. 

The  Lord  has  so  abundantly  blessed  the  labors  of  His  people 
in  that  once  barren  region  that  truly  the  desert  does  rejoice  and 
blossom  as  the  rose.  That  Salt  Lake  valley  was  a  most  forbid- 


THE  GATHERING   OF  ISRAEL.  455 

ding  place  cannot  be  denied.  James  Bridges,  an  old  trapper 
who  had  seen  Salt  Lake  valley  before  the  Pioneers,  was  so  confi- 
dent of  the  perpetual  sterility  of  the  soil,  rendered  so  by  having 
little  or  no  water,  scarcely  any  rain,  and  frost  nearly  every 
month  in  the  year,  that  he  said  to  President  Brigham  Young : 
"I  will  give  you  a  thousand  dollars  for  the  first  ear  of  corn  that 
can  be  produced  in  Salt  Lake  valley."  Our  geographies  desig 
nated  that  country  as  the  Great  American  Desert.  Daniel 
Webster,  the  great  statesman  and  orator,  earnestly  opposed  the 
annexation  of  that  section  of  the  country  to  the  United  States 
on  the  ground  of  its  almost  utter  worthlessness,  claiming  it 
would  be  a  financial  burden  to  the  government. 

Notwithstanding  these  forbidding  aspects,  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  predicted  on  the  6th  of  August,  1842,  that  the  Latter-day 
Saints  would  become  a  mighty  people  in  the  midst  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  This  prophecy  will  be  found  readily  in  a  work  en- 
titled "A  New  Witness  for  God,"  by  Elder  B.  H.  Roberts,  which 
work  also  contains  many  other  predictions  of  the  prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  and  shows  their  fulfillment.  The  following  in  the  proph- 
ecy of  Isaiah,  chapter  thirty-five,  "For  in  the  wilderness  shall 
waters  break  out,  and  streams  in  the1  desert,  and  the  parched 
ground  shall  become  a  pool,  and  the  thirsty  lands  springs  of 
water,"  has  been  fulfilled  in  the  settlement  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain region  by  the  Latter-day  Saints. 

As  the  judgments  of  God  come  upon  the  earth  the  gathering 
of  Israel  will  be  accelerated,  and  the  words  of  the  prophet  Isiaiah 
will  be  fulfilled  wherein  he  asks  the  question,  "Who  are  these 
that  fly  as  a  cloud,  and  as  the  doves  to  their  windows?"  (Isa.  Ix: 
8.)  As  they  come  together  from  their  long  dispersion,  and 
from  the  north  country,  in  times  of  famine,  pestilence  and  blood- 
shed, the  Lord  will  strengthen  them  by  saying,  "Fear  not;  for  1 
am  with  thee;  I  will  bring  thy  seed  from  the  east  and  gather 
thee  from  the  west;  I  will  say  to  the  north,  give  up;  and  to  the 
south,  keep  not  back ;  bring  my  sons  from  afar,  and  my  daugh- 
ters from  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  even  every  one  that  is  called 
by  my  name."  (Isa.  xliii:  5,  6.)  How  universal  will  be  this 
gathering  from  all  points  of  the  compass,  and  which  will  apply 
to  all  who  are  truly  called  by  the  name  of  the  Lord ! 

This  gathering  will  be  attended  by  greater  power  than  here- 
tofore, and  no  power  will  be  able1  to  impede  the  progress  of  the 


456  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

great  work.  Hear  what  Ezekiel  says:  "And  I  will  bring  you 
out  from  the  people,  and  will  gather  you  out  of  the  countries 
\vherein  ye  arc  scattered,  Math  a  mighty  hand,  and  with  a 
stretched  out  arm,  and  with  fury  poured  out.  And  I  will 
bring  you  into  the  wilderness  of  the  people,  and  there  will  I 
plead  with  you  face  to  face."  (Ezekiel  xx:  34,  35.)  The  same 
prophet  also  predicts  the  gathering  of  Israel  in  unmistakable 
terms,  ill  chapter  xxxvi:  24:  "For  I  will  take  you  from  among 
the  heathen,  and  gather  you  into  your  own  land." 

The  foregoing  predictions  are  chiefly  from  the  Old  Testament, 
but  the  New  Testament  also  contains  many  very  definite  fore- 
casts upon  this  glorious  subject ;  indeed,  in  the1  last  days,  when 
the  Gospel  should  be  restored  to  earth  by  divine  revelation,  the 
dispensation  thus  established  was  to  be  designated  as  a  gathering 
dispensation,  as  stated  by  Paul  in  Ephesians,  chapter  i:  9,  10: 
"Having  made  known  unto  us  the  mystery  of  His  will,  according 
to  His  good  pleasure  which  He  hath  purposed  in  Himself ;  that 
in  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times,  He  might  gather 
together  in  one  all  things  in  Christ,  both  which  are  in  heaven, 
and  which  are  on  the  earth;  even  in  Him."  This  is  in 
perfect  accord  with  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  before  quoted,  that 
all  who  are'  called  by  the  name  of  the  Lord  should  be  gathered 
together. 

Jesus  offered  the  gathering  to  the  house  of  Judah  in  His 
day,  but  they  rejected  it.  He  said  unto  them,  "O,  Je- 
rusalem, Jerusalem,  which  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest 
them  that  are  sent  unto  thee ;  how  often  would  I  have  gathered 
thy  children  together,  as  a  hen  doth  gather  her  brood  under 
her  wings,  and  ye  would  not !  Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto 
you  desolate;  and  verily  I  say  unto  you,  ye  shall  not  see  me, 
until  the  time  come  when  ye  shall  say,  blessed  is  he  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  (Luke  xiii :  34,  35.)  How 
terribly  have  the'se  words  been  fulfilled  upon  the  Jews  through 
their  having  rejected  the  Messiah  and  the  principle  of  gathering 
which  He  offered  to  them. 

By  reading  the  book  of  Zechariah  we  learn  that  when  the 
Jews  have  gathered  to  their  promised  land,  in  the  last  days,  and 
the  armies  of  the  Gentiles  surround  them,  the  Messiah  will 


THE  GATHERING  OF  ISRAEL.  45-7 

appear  unto  them  on  the  Mount  of  Olives.  Looking  to  the 
fulfillment  of  the  great  predictions  the  feeling  now  pervades 
the  hearts  of  the  Jews,  to  a  very  great  extent,  to  furnish 
means  for  the  purchase  of  the1  land  of  Palestine,  that  they 
may  return  and  rebuild  the  city  of  Jerusalem. 

When  the  Twelve  Apostles  at  Jerusalem  requested  of  the 
Savior  to  know  the1  signs  of  His  second  coming,  He  gave 
various  evidences,  among  which  was  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel 
of  the  kingdom  and  consequently  its  restoration  to  the  earth, 
and  the  raising  up  of  prophets  to  warn  the  people,  without 
which  the  comparison  of  the1  days  of  Noah  and  the  days  of  the 
second  coming  of  the  Messiah  would  not  be  complete.  To 
counterfeit  the  work  of  God  through  prophets  that  should 
be  raised  up,  false  prophets  and  teachers  should  also  arise; 
kingdom  should  arise  against  kingdom;  war,  pestilence  and 
bloodshed  should  desolate  the  nations  of  the  earth;  the  gath- 
ering of  Israel  should  be  going  on,  as  proved  by  the  prophecies 
heretofore  quoted,  and  when  the  signs  of  His  appearing  should 
appear  in  the  heavens,  "He  shall  send  His  angels  with  a  great 
sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together  His  elect 
from  the"  four  winds,  from  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other." 
(Matt,  xxiv:  31;  see  also  Mark  xiii:  27.) 

This  is  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times  in  which 
all  the  keys,  power  and  authority  enjoyed  by  all  previous  dis- 
pensations have  been  restored  to  the1  earth,  and  this  includes 
the  keys  of  the  gathering.  Under  date  of  April  3d,  1836, 
Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver  Cowdery  were  the  recipients  of  many 
splendid  visions  and  revelations  at  Kirtland,  Ohio,  in  the 
Temple  of  the  Lord.  They  solemnly  testify  as  follows  :  "After 
this  vision  closed,  the"  heavens  were  again  opened  unto  us,  and 
Moses  appeared  before  us,  and  committed  unto  us  the  keys  of 
the  gathering  of  Israel  from  the  four  parts  of  the  earth,  and 
the  leading  of  the  ten  tribes  from  the  land  of  the  north."  (Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  Sec.  110:  11.) 

From  that  time  the  spirit  of  gathering  has  rested  richly  upon 
the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  tens  of  thousands  have  gath- 
ered from  many  nations  of  the  earth.  The*  Saints  will  continue 
until  they  are  assembled  in  the  places  designated  for  them  to 
occupy.  'Since  the  date  mentioned,  the  spirit  of  the  gathering 
also  has  been  working  among  the  Jews,  and  when  all  things  are 


458  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

revealed  it  will  undoubtedly  be  found  that  the  spirit  of  gath- 
ering is  working  among  the*  ten  lost  tribes  of  Israel,  looking  to 
the  restoration  promised  to  them  in  the  predictions  of  their 
fathers.  Thus  in  the  purpose  of  God  will  be  accomplished 
the  gathering  together  in  one,  all  who  will  serve  Him  and 
keep  His  commandments,  that  they  may  "learn  of  His  ways 
and  walk  in  His  paths,"  that  the  earth  may  be  "filled  with 
the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  as  the*  waters  cover  the  mighty 
deep,  when  no  man  shall  say  to  his  neighbor,  "know  ye 
the  Lord,"  for  all  shall  know  Him,  from  the  least  to  the 
greatest. 


TITHING. 

Unlike  other  religious  sects  professing  Christianity,  the 
Latter-day  Saints  do  not  observe  the  law  of  tithing,  the  ordi- 
nances of  baptism,  confirmation  or  any  other  sacred  rite 
merely  because  tihe  Bible  records  that  such  observances  were 
had  among  the  ancient  saints,  but  for  the  reason  that  in  this 
age  of  the  world,  God  has  commanded  us  to  receive  these 
laws  and  ordinances. 

The  law  of  tithing  was  given  in  the  early  history  of  God's 
dealings  with  the  children  of  men.  Abraiham  paid  tithes  to 
Melchisedek,  according  to  the  statement  of  Paul  to  the  He- 
brews. The  apostle  also  refers  to  the  fact  that  the  tribe  of 
Levi  had  been  selected  from  all  the  sons  of  Israel  to  officiate 
in  that  order  of  the  priesthood  which  has  to  do  with  the  out- 
ward ordinances  of  tithes  and  sacrifice,  and  notwithstanding 
there  was  a  nigher  order,  of  which  Melchisedek  was  the  great 
High  Priest,  those  bearing  the  higher  priesthood  were  not  ex- 
empt from  the  law  of  tithing.  (Heb.  vii:  4-5.) 

Jacob  also  paid  one-tenth  to  the  Lord.  (Gen.  xxviii:  20-22.) 
During  the  administration  of  'Moses  as  the  leader  and  law- 
giver under  the  Almighty  to  Israel,  tithing  was  enjoined  as  a 
universal  law  to  the  people  of  God.  "And  all  the  tithe  of  the 
land,  whether  of  the  seed  of  the  land  or  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree, 
is  the  Lord's;  it  is  holy  unto  the  Lord.  And  concerning  the  tithe 
of  the  herd,  or  of  the  flock,  even  of  whatsoever  passeth  under 
the  rod,  the  tenth  shall  be  holy  unto  the  Lord.  He  shall  not 
search  whether  it  be  good  or  bad."  (Lev.  xxvii:  30,  32,  33.)  This 
did  not  require  a  selection  of  the  very  choicest  product  of  the 
flock,  the  herd  or  the  soil,  neither  did  it  justify  a  man  in  of- 
fering for  his  tithes  the  poorest  or  least  valuable  of  his  in- 
come. Of  the  flocks,  each  one  "that  passeth  under  the  rod" 
was  to  be  tithed.  The  custom  was  to  pen  the  flocks  in  a  corral, 
with  a  gateway  too  small  for  the  passage  of  more  than  one 
animal  at  a  time;  and  as  they  passed  out,  a  man  stood  at  the 
gateway  with  a  rod  in  his  hand,  and  as  the  tenth  one  of  the 


460  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

flock  went  out,  the  man  at  the  gate  marked  the  animal  with 
his  rod.  Thus  every  tenth  one,  whether  it  was  good,  poor  or 
medium,  was  sanctified  to  the  Lord  as  tithing;  any  disposition 
to  offer  as  a  tithe  an  inferior  article  was  disapproved  of  by 
the  Lord.  In  matters  of  sacrifice  upon  the  altar,  pointing  to 
the  sacrifice  of  the  Great  Redeemer  who  should  be  offered  in 
the  meridian  of  time  to  redeem  a  fallen  world,  Israel  was 
positively  forbidden  to  offer  the  blind,  the  lame  or  the  bruised. 
"Ye  shall  offer  at  your  own  will  a  male  without  blemish,  of 
the  beeves,  of  the  sheep,  or  of  the  goats.  But  whatsoever  hath 
a  blemish,  that  shall  ye  not  offer;  for  it  shall  mot  be  acceptable 
for  you.  *  *  *  Blind,  or  broken,  or  maimed,  or  having  a 
wen,  or  scurvy,  or  scabbed,  ye  shall  not  offer  these  unto  the 
Lord,  nor  make  an  offering  by  fire  of  them  upon  the  altar  unto 
the  Lord."  (Lev.  xxii:  19,  22,) 

The  atonement  symbolized  by  the  sacrifices  was  one  (the 
Lamb  of  God)  free  from  blemish  in  every  particular— "a  pure 
and  perfect  being  without  spot  or  blemish."  Not  only  was  the 
offering  upon  the  altar  a  reminder  of  the  atonement  as  a  fact, 
by  the  shedding  of  blood,  but  the  character  and  quality  of  the 
offering  must  symbolize  the  perfect  purity  of  the  Son  of  God. 

While  tithing  was  not  so  directly  pointing  to  the  atonement, 
nor  was  it  designed  for  that  purpose,  it  is  yet  an  offering  to 
the  Lord  required  by  Him,  to  be  used  for  righteous  purposes 
and  to  prepare  the  heart  of  the  tithe-payer  to  give  his  all  to 
God,  to  consecrate  all  in  the  interest  of  human  redemption. 
The  Lord,  in  tithing,  does  not  demand  the  best  nor  justify 
His  people  in  offering  that  of  the  least  value  in  any  substance 
tithed.  How  penurious,  mean  and  small-souled  on  the  part 
of  any  saint  it  would  be  to  offer  for  tithing  that  of  the  poorest 
value  to  himself,  especially  in  the  light  of  the  fact  that  God 
is  the  Giver  of  all  we  enjoy,  whether  of  a  spiritual  or  physical 
nature,  and  in  the  face  of  His  great  liberality  in  not  demanding 
a  selection  of  the  very  best  of  any  product  which  is  tithed. 
If  any  man  is  tempted  to  pay  the  poorest  calf,  the  poorest  ton 
of  nay,  or  a  scabby  sheep  to  rid  himself  of  it,  let  him  remem- 
ber the  word  of  the  Lord  to  ancient  Israel  and  the  condemna- 
tion that  followed  when  they  robbed  God  in  tithes  and  offer- 
ings. 

These   injunctions   continued   throughout   all    the  history   ir>i 


TITHING.  461 

Israel,  from  Moses  to  the  Savior.  Malachi  says  "And  if  ye 
offer  the  blind  for  sacrifice,  is  it  not  evil?  And  if  ye  offer  the 
lame  and  sick,  is  it  not  evil?"  (Mai.  i:  8.)  It  should  be 
considered  evil  to  offer  such  for  tithing  in  our  day.  When 
Israel  turned  from  their  observance  of  this  law,  as  from  all 
others  enjoined  by  the  Almighty,  the  people  were  reprimanded 
severely,  and  were  followed  by  the  withering  hand  of  God's 
displeasure.  "Will  a  man  rob  God?  Yet  ye  have  robbed  me. 
But  ye  say,  wherein  have  we  robbed  thee?  In  tithes  and 
offerings.  Ye  are  cursed  with  a  curse,  for  ye  have  robbed  me, 
even  this  whole  nation.  Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  store- 
house, that  there  may  be  meat  in  mine  house,  and  prove  me 
now  herewith,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I  will  not  open  you 
the  windows  of  heaven  and  pour  you  out  a  blessing  that  there 
shall  not  be  room  enough  to  receive  it.  And  I  will  rebuke  the 
devourer  for  your  sakes,  and  he  shall  not  destroy  the  fruits  of 
your  ground,  neither  shall  your  vine  cast  her  fruit  before  the 
time  in  the  field,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  all  nations  shall 
call  you  blessed,  for  ye  shall  be  a  delightsome  land,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts."  (Mai.  iii:  8-12.)  Thus  was  the  law  of  tithing 
given  to  Israel;  thus  were  they  to  be  blessed  in  its  observance 
and  cursed  if  they  transgressed  it.  As  the  law  was  given 
anciently  for  the  same  purposes  as  in  this  dispensation,  it 
would  naturally  agree  in  the  blessings  following  its  observances 
and  the  curses  for  its  disobedience.  When  the  Savior  chastised 
the  Pharisees  for  their  hypocrisy,  He  evidently  approved  the 
law  of  tithing,  for  He  said,  "But  woe  unto  you  Pharisees! 
For  ye  tiche  mint  and  rue  and  all  manner  of  herbs,  and 
pass  over  judgment  and  the  love  of  God;  these  ought  ye  to 
have  douo,  and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone."  (Luke  xi:  42.) 
It  is  erroneously  supposed  by  many  that  the  laws  ob- 
served 'by  Israel  previous  to  Christ's  atonement  were  almost 
entirely  obliterated,  being,  as  many  think,  all  fulfilled  in  His 
mission  on  earth.  A  little  reflection  upon  this  subject  will  cor- 
rect this  error  in  the  minds  of  all  who  are  diligently  and  hon- 
estly seeking  for  the  truth.  The  Ten  Commandments  them- 
selves are  pre-eminently  a  part  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ.  When 
the1  young  man  came  to  the  Messiah  to  learn  the  way  of  salva- 
tion, he  was  enjoined  to  observe  the  commandments,  "Thou 
shalt  not  kill,  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery,"  etc.  (Matt. 


462  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

xix  :  16-2.1. )  Whatever  was  discontinued  after  the  atonement 
was  that  which  had  been  established  to  symbolize  and  teach 
the  great  atonement  to  come.  The  offerings  of  lambs  and 
bullocks  in  sacrifice  was  dispensed  with,  as  it  had  pointed  to 
the  coming  atonement  now  fulfilled  in  the  Messiah.  It  was 
replaced  by  the  sacrament,  the  broken  bread  and  the  wine, 
both  blessed  and  administered  to  the  disciples  and  enjoined  as 
a  continuous  ordinance  to  keep  bright  in  memory  the  sufferings, 
atonement  and  resurrection  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Ohrist. 

The  only  time  when  the*  law  of  tithing  was  not  enjoined  upon 
the  people  of  God,  so  far  as  the  Scriptures  indicate,  is  when 
they  not  only  consecrated  one-tenth  to  the  Lord,  but  all  they 
had.  This  law  of  consecration,  we  learned,  was  observed  in 
the  city  of  Enoch.  It  was  carried  out  in  a  measure  by  the 
ancient  Saints  in  Palestine  after  the  day  of  Pentecost :  "And 
the  multitude  of  them  that  believed  were  of  one  heart  and  of 
one  soul;  neither  said  any  of  them  that  ought  of  the  things 
which  he  possessed  was  his  own ;  but  they  all  had  things  in 
common.  And  with  great  power  gave  the  apostles  witness  of 
the  resurrection  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  great  grace  was  upon 
them  all.  Neither  was  there  any  among  them  that  lacked ; 
for  as  many  as  were  possessors  of  lands  or  houses,  sold 
them,  and  brought  the  prices  of  the  things  which  were  sold,  and 
laid  them  down  at  the  apostles'  feet ;  and  distribution  was 
made  unto  every  man  as  he  had  need."  (Acts  iv:  32-35.) 

This  law  of  consecration,  which  comprehended  the  law  of 
tithing  and  much  more,  was  also  observed  for  some  200  years 
upon  the  American  continent  subsequent  to  the  visit  of  the 
Savior  to  and  the  establishment  of  His  Church  among  the 
Nephites  upon  this  land,  The  law  of  consecration  was  re- 
vealed to  the  Latter-day  Saints  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  and  will  be  established  and  carried  out  fully  in  the  re- 
demption of  Zion;  without  it  Zion  cannot  be  redeemed. 

This  is  the  dispensation  of  the  fullness  of  times,  the  one 
containing  in  its  revelations  all  the  keys,  powers,  prerogatives, 
authorities  and  blessings,  enjoyed  toy  any  and  all  previous 
dispensations  combined— a  day  of  the  restoration  of  all  things 
spoken  'by  the  mouth  of  all  His  holy  Prophets  since  the  world 
began.  (Acts  iii:  20-21;  Eph.  i:  9-10.)  Consequently  the  law 
of  tithing,  with  other  grand  doctrines,  has  been  restored  to 


TITHING.  463 

the  earth.  The  revelation  on  this  subject  is  found  in  the  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  Sec.  119,  and  was  given  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  July  8,  1838.  It  shows  what  constitutes  tithing, 
the  purpose  thereof  and  the  blessings  to  be  received  as  a  re- 
ward of  obedience  thereto. 

The  law  specifies  one-tenth  of  all  our  interests  annually. 
This  means  what  it  says,  "one-tenth  of  our  interests;"  in 
other  words,  whatever  comes  to  us  as  the  result  of  our  labors 
in  any  and  every  vocation  of  life.  If  we  lend  money,  what- 
ever the  interest  on  the  loan  amounts  to,  one-tenth  of  this 
interest  is  tithing.  If  the  money  is  invested  in  any  enterprise 
and  brings  a  dividend,  one-tenth  of  the  dividend  is  the  tithing. 
If  a  man  is  a  carpenter,  a  blacksmith  or  a  school  teacher, 
and  earns  a  salary,  one-tenth  of  that  salary  should  be  conse- 
crated to  the  Lord  as  tithing;  and  the  tithe-payer  has  the 
other  nine-tenths  to  meet  his  expenses  and  to  use  as  a  means 
of  livelihood.  Whatever  the  occupation,  whether  farmer, 
mechanic,  professor,  miner  or  whatever,  one-tenth  of  his  in- 
terest annually  is  the  tithing.  If  questions  arise,  as  they 
sometimes  do,  especially  with  the  farmer  regarding  legitimate 
expenses  used  in  producing  what  is  left  to  us  as  a  profit  on  our 
labors,  the  Latter-day  Saint,  if  in  doubt  as  to  the  amount  to 
pay,  is  usually  certain  of  this — that  between  two  propositions 
one  of  which  he  knows  is  right,  and  the  other  may  be  but  he 
is  not  sure,  he  is  always  safe  to  act  upon  that  side  of  the 
question  which  extends  to  the  law  of  the  L/ord  the  greater 
liberality.  "It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive."  "The 
Lord  loveth  a  cheerful  giver,"  and  "He  that  deviseth  liberal 
means,  shall  stand  by  his  liberality,"  while  the  man  wno  com- 
plies grudgingly  or  studies  how  little  he  can  do,  and  at  the 
same  time  have  the  name  and  record  of  doing,  is  not  the  man 
who  loves  the  Lord  with  all  his  heart,  mind  and  strength,  and 
should  not  anticipate  a  full  measure  of  blessing  attached  to 
His  law. 

By  an  honest  compliance,  the  individual  is  blessed  in  spirit 
and  in  temporal  substance.  The  testimonies  of  thousands, 
and  even  of  the  widow  who  has  paid  her  full  tithing,  is  that 
God  has  increased  their  substance  in  some  instances  in  a  most 
remarkable  manner,  even  as  He  increased  in  the  barrel  the 


464  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTBINE. 

meal  of  the  poor  widow  who  fed  the  prophet  Elijah.  He  also 
has  given  testimony  of  His  goodness  and  power  and  the  in- 
crease of  His  Holy  Spirit  to  the  honest  tithe-payer,  who 
receives  blessings  greatly  exceeding  in  value  the  increase  of 
gold,  silver  or  any  physical  substance. 

In  tithing  is  strongly  exemplified  the  eternal  law  that  what 
is  given  as  God  directs  increases  the  substance  of  the  giver. 
When  men  exert  the  intellectual  talents  with  which  they  are 
endowed  in  imparting  knowledge  to  others,  their  own  knowl- 
edge does  not  decrease  but  is  enhanced,  while  the  active  in- 
tellect grows  strongly  and  the  talents  are  more  quickly  de- 
veloped and  increased.  When  our  young  Elders  go  forth  and 
preach  the  Gospel  as  they  are  moved  upon  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
the  Spirit  they  employ  does  not  grow  less  nor  the  gifts  thereof 
diminish  because  they  are  constantly  imparting  to  others,  but 
these  increase  abundantly.  It  is  just  as  easy  for  the  Lord  to 
increase  physical  subs-tance  as  to  add  to  spiritual  blessings 
and  powers.  When  we  sow  the  grain  upon  the  earth,  it  would 
seem  thrown  away,  but,  by  the  law  of  the  Great  Creator,  the 
seed  germinates  in  it  and  produces  again,  sometimes  thirty 
and  forty  fold.  So  it  is  with  tithing.  We  may  not  under- 
stand fully  the  process,  but  the  result  is  plain.  God  increases 
the  faith  and  substance  of  him  who  freely  pays  his  tithing. 

Among  the  conditions  associated  with  this  law  is,  "those 
who  are  not  tithed  shall  not  be  worthy  the  blessings  of  the 
house  of  the  Lord;"  and  again,  "He  that  is  tithed  shall  not  be 
burned"  (at  His  coming).  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sec. 
64:  23.)  It  is  predicted  by  Malachi  and  other  prophets,  as 
well  as  by  the  words  of  the  Lord  in  the  last  days  to  the  prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  that  the  days  of  God's  judgment  are  coming  upon 
the  earth,  and  that  the  wicked,  proud  and  rebellious  shall  be- 
come1 as  stubble,  "and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn  them  up, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  (Malachi  iii.  Doctrine  and  Cov- 
enants, Sec.  64.) 

In  the  revelations  on  tithing  the  Lord  also  says,  "Verily  I 
say  unto  you,  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  all  those  who  gather 
into  the  land  of  Zion  shall  be  tithed  of  their  surplus  properties, 
and  shall  observe  this  law  or  they  shall  not  be  found  worthy  to 
abide  among  you.  And  I  say  unto  you,  if  my  people  observe 
not  this  law,  to  keep  it  holy,  and  by  this  law  sanctify  the  land 


TITHING.  465 

of  Zion  unto  me,  that  my  statutes  and  my  judgments  may  be 
kept  thereon,  that  it  may  be  most  holy,  behold,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  it  shall  not  be  a  land  of  Zion  unto  you.  And  this  shall  be 
an  ensample  unto  all  the  Stakes  of  Zion.  Even  so,  Amen." 
(Doc.  and  Cov.,  Sec.  119.) 

The  perfection  and  benefits  of  the  law  of  tithing  could  not  be 
comprehended  by  men  of  this  age  of  the  world  prior  to  the  refvel- 
ations  given  from  the  Lord.  This  divine  instruction  was  neces- 
sary, and  its  demonstration  in  the  lives  of  the  people  is  a  fur- 
ther witness  of  the  prophetic  calling  of  Joseph  Smith  ;  the  facts 
connected  therewith  are  within  easy  reach  of  those  who  will  in- 
vestigate among  the  people  who  have  actual  experience  and 
knowledge  of  the  divine  blessings  that  attend  obedience  to  the 
law  of  tithing  and  are  unimpeachable  testimonies  of  the  truth  of 
God's  word. 


•28 


ETERNAL  REWARDS  AND  PUNISHMENTS. 

There  is  nothing  more  strikingly  plain  and  explicit  in  all  the! 
Holy  Scriptures  than  that  God  is  jusit  and  His  paths  are 
"mercy  and  truth." 

Justice  is  an  essential  attribute  of  Deity ;  it  is  as  necessary 
in  government  as  love  and  mercy ;  it  demands  that  man  snail 
acquiesce  in  divine  law,  without  which  all  were  confusion, 
utterly  devoid  of  order  and  method,  and  the  learned  essayist 
has  informed  us  that  "Heaven's  first  law  is  order."  Justice 
should  govern  law,  and  when  the  law  is  violated  or  its  statutes 
are  broken,  justice  calls  for  a  penalty  therefor.  It  is  by  law 
that  penalties  are  affixed,  and  we  find  in  Deuteronomy,  the  28th 
chapter,  beginning  with  the  15th  verse,  "If  thou  wilt  not 
hearken  unto  the  voice  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  observe  to 
do  all  His  commandments  and  His  statutes  which  I  command 
tbee  this  day,  that  all  these  curses  shall  come  upon  thee." 
In  Mark  xvi :  16,  we  read,  "He  that  beliefveth  and  is  baptized 
shall  be  saved;  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned." 
Here  we  find  a  penalty  affixed  for  the  violation  of  the  laws  of 
God. 

We'  find  it  verily  true  that  in  all  God  does  and  in  all  that 
He  orders,  He  manifests  goodness  and  love,  maintains  justice 
and  equity  and  exercises  mercy  and  long-suffering.  Notwith- 
standing His  compassion  and  mercy,  He  is  nevertheless  just  and 
true",  therefore  a  full  assurance  that  He  will  bestow  rewards 
and  inflict  punishments,  as  He  has  aforetime  decreed,  must 
take  root  in  the  mind  of  every  considering,  inquiring,  honest 
soul.  As  the  apostle  said:  "In  hope  of  eternal  life,  which 
God,  that  cannot  lie",  promised  before  the  world  began."  (Titus 
i :  2. )  Mercy  shall  ever  season  justice,  but  never  be  permitted 
to  rob  her  of  her  inexorable  demands  Love  will  never  cease1 
to  be  a  ruling  attribute  in  all  God's  dealings,  but  not  to  mitigate 
or  lessen  punishment,  unless  repentance"  be  manifest  and  for- 
giveness granted ;  goodness,  kindness,  forbearance  and  gentle- 
ness, while  they  are  forever  and  always  exercised  in  Deity,  will 


ETERNAL  REWARDS  AND  PUNISHMENTS.  467 

not  stand  to  thwart  or  forestall  the  judgments  of  God,  or 
remove  deserving  penalties,  only  as  provision  is  made  in  the 
plan  of  redemption. 

There  are  numerous  instances  recorded  upon  the  pages  of  Holy 
Writ  which  go  to  prove  that  God  is  just,  and  that  Hisi  decrees 
will  be  fulfilled  to  the  letter.  Perhaps  none  are  so  convincingly 
clear  as  that  portrayed  in  the  atonement  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior,  Jesus  Christ.  He"  became  pre-eminently  the  "man  of 
sorrows  and  acquainted  with  grief."  Not  for  His  own  sins, 
for  He  was  the  one  person  free  from  sin,  but  He  bore  affliction 
and  suffering  beyond  our  finite  comprehension  before  a  remission 
of  that  penalty,  which  justice"  demanded  for  Adam's  sin,  could 
be  procured.  When  we  consider  the  agonies  of  the  garden, 
the  scoffings  of  the  council  and  the  torture  of  the  crucifixion, 
we  begin  to  realize  the  exaction  of  punishment  ere  the  sons  of 
Adam  could  be  freed  from  the  original  transgression  enacted  in 
Eden.  Christ,  in  His  vicarious  work  of  interposition  for  fallen 
man,  humbled  Himself  before  His  Father,  being  subject  to 
pain,  scorn,  ignominy  and  death,  that  justice  might  be  satisfied. 
Herein,  then,  is  plainly  discerned  the  justice  of  the  Almighty — 
a  justice  as  strict  in  its  works  as  it  is  stern  in  its  words,  yet 
seasoned  with  mercy  and  dealt  kindly  with  love;  requiring 
of  that  Just  One  a  full  and  complete  atonement,  unsparingly 
and  unflinchingly,  for  thus  did  justice  demand  We  are  assured, 
then,  of  the  justice  of  God ;  the  debt  must  be  paid  before  the 
burden  is  lifted,  but  when  the  requirements  of  the  law  are 
righteously  met  and  kept,  the  load  is  removed,  for  our  Father 
is  not  only  just,  but  merciful  and  true. 

In  the  minds  of  many  there  exists  a  vague  and  erroneous 
idea  as  to  what  is  really  meant  by  the  term  "eternal  rewards" 
and  "eternal  punishments."  A  misunderstanding  of  these 
expressions  has  doubtless  caused  many  to  be  skeptical  and 
infidelic.  The  word  "eternal"  does  not  refer  to  the  length 
or  duration  of  the  'blessings  endowed  or  penalties  inflicted,  but 
to  the  everlasting  nature  of  the  Great  God,  under  whose  right- 
eousness and  justice  the  faithful  are  exalted  and  the  wicked 
punished. 

Through  Moses,  that  ancient  seer,  the  Lord  spoke  thus :  "The 
eternal  God  is  thy  refuge,  and  underneath  are  the  everlasting 
arms."  (Deut.  xxxiii :  27.)  God,  then,  being  eternal,  His 


468  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

rewards  are  "eternal  rewards,"  His  punishments  "eternal  pun- 
ishments." If  the  United  States  were  an  eternal  government, 
its  justice*  would  be  eternal ;  if  it  were  unchangeable,  it  always 
would  punish  violators  of  the  law,  and  if  justice  were  meted 
out  to  all,  they  would  be  punished  in  proportion  to  the  crime 
committed,  and  when  the  demands  of  justice  were  satisfied 
they  would  be"  released,  but  the  punishment  would  still  continue 
to  exist,  and  being  eternal,  all  who  fell  under  its  ban  would 
taste  of  eternal  punishment.  The  punishment  will  always  en- 
dure, although  criminals  may  serve  their  penalties  and  come 
out  from  the  prison  house;  it  is  even  so  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 
God  is  the  highest  type  of  justice.  He  is  eternal,  everlasting, 
unchangeable,  and  always  will  punish  sin.  His  punishment  is 
eternal,  because  He  is  eternal.  Eternal  is  one  of  His  names, 
and  eternal  punishment  is  used  in  the  sense  of  God's  punish- 
ment, and  not  to  designate  it  as  everlasting  in  its  duration  upon 
the  offender  of  the  law.  He  will  beat  with  many  stripes  all 
who  commit  sins  worthy  of  the  same,  and  with  few  stripes  those 
guilty  of  less  venal  crimes.  This  will  be  determined  according 
to  the  light  and  knowledge  one  may  possess  For  example, 
three  men  commit  murder,  an  African  in  the  jungles  of  Africa, 
a  negro  who  was  formerly  a  slave",  and  a  white  man.  Other 
things  being  equal,  the  white  man,  with  his  advanced  intelligence, 
will  suffer  most,  for  he  has  had  the  most  light  and  by  far  the 
best  opportunity  to  advance. 

There  are  degre'es  of  punishment,  as  well  as  degrees  of 
reward.  Here  is  a  tender,  moral  girl,  who  dies  without 
accepting  Christ  as  her  Savior,  and  here  is  an  old  man,  eighty 
years  old,  who  dies  in  his  sins ;  dare  any  one  assert  that  a 
just  and  holy  God  is  going  to  punish  those1  two  alike?  And 
yet  many,  very  many,  look  upon  hell  as  a  place  where  all  suffer 
alike,  and  heaven  an  ethereal,  uncertain  abode,  where  all  enjoy 
like  blessings.  Our  salvation  from  death  defpends  entirely 
upon  Christ,  but  our  exaltation  is  upon  our  acts  of  obedience, 
and  our  condemnation  upon  our  sins  and  transgressions  How 
plain  and  simple  are  the  words  of  the  apostle  Paul,  "Every 
man  shall  receive  his  own  reward  according  to  his  own  labor." 
(I.  Cor.  iii:  8.) 

God  rewards  according  to  our  faithfulness  to  all  opportuni- 
ties. He  does  not  require  a  quart  from  a  pint  vessel.  "Where 


ETERNAL  REWARDS  AND  PUNISHMENTS.  469 

much  is  given  much  is  required."  "As  ye  sow,  so  shall  ye 
reap."  As  with  rewards,  so  likewise  with  punishments.  When 
justice  is  satisfied,  the  sinner  has  paid  the  debt. 

How  beautiful  and  holy  is  this  plan  of  eternal  justice !  How 
consistent  with  the  words  of  the  Messiah,  "Be  ye  perfect,  as 
your  Father  in  heaven  is  perfect."  Paul  informs  us  that  after 
the  resurrection  and  eternal  judgment,  we  are  to  go  on  unto 
perfection,"  and  not  until  then,  will  the  measure  of  our  creation 
be  filled. 

Let  all  ponder  the  simple  truth  that  God  is  just,  holy  and 
righteous,  wondrously  tender,  loving,  gentle  and  kind.  Eternal 
rewards  are  the  blessings  we  receive  from  God  for  our  faith- 
fulness and  fealty  to  His  laws.  Eternal  punishments  are  the 
inflictions  which  He  imposes  for  our  violation  of  His  righteous 
commands.  Our  rewards  we  merit ;  our  punishments  we  justly 
deserve.  The  Lord  has  said,  "I  will  never  leave  thee;  I  will 
never  forsake  thee,"  therefore,  we  are  assured  that  "His  mercy 
endureth  forever." 


OBEDIENCE. 

"To  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the 
fat  of  rams."  (I.  Samuel  xv :  22.)  In  an  age  of  the  world 
when  indeptmdence  is  the  proud  boast  of  the  nations,  obedience 
is,  by  mistaken  ideas  of  freedom,  considered  a  mark  of  humilia- 
tion. To  the  reader  I  will  say,  in  reality,  true  obedience 
to  the  Lord's  commands  is  an  indication  of  moral  courage,  union 
and  power.  It  is  not  blind  obedience  that  is  referred  to  and 
maintained,  but  that  type  which  characterized  the  ancient 
seers  and  saints,  who,  like  the  'Messiah,  were  ready  to  say  by 
word  and  deed,  "I  came  not  to  do  mine  own  will,  but  the  will 
of  my  Father  who  sent  me." 

The  Latter-day  Saints  are  credited  with  being  obedient  and 
submissive  to  authority,  this  fact  being  often  used  by  their  op- 
ponents as  the  occasion  of  re*proach.  Those  who  so  use  it 
surely  must  forget  that  God  requires  obedience;  that  the  best 
embodiment  of  this  principle,  the  most  humble  and  yielding  to 
the  divine  will,  was  the  best  and  purest  Being  who  ever  dwelt 
in  mortality,  viz.,  the'  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  He  in  whose  mouth 
there  was  found  no  guile ;  who  was  perfect  and  without  blemish 
in  all  the  walks  of  life.  While  He  was  obedient  to  His 
Father's  will  and  humble  to  the  extreme,  He  was  independent 
of  the  influence  and  persuasions  of  wicked  men. 

The  status  of  Latter-day  Saints  is  conformable  to  this 
example.  They  are  obedient  to  conscience,  to  convictions  of 
right,  to  divine  authority  and  to  God,  in  whom  they  trust. 
While  thus  submissive,  their  persecutors  have  found  them 
equally  oblivious  to  the  behests  of  wicked  men,  whether  high  or 
low.  Men  in  the  factories  of  the  old  world,  working  side  by 
side  at  the  weaver's  loom,  in  the  coal  pit  or  elsewhere  in  follow- 
ing the  various  vocations  of  life — in  this  condition  the  Gospel 
preached  by  the  elders  of  Israel  has  reached  them.  Alike,  many 
of  them  have  received  convictions  of  the  truth.  They  have 
said :  "This  is  the  truth ;  I  must  obey  it  or  stand  condemned." 
Other  people  have  said :  "It  is  true,  but  if  I  obey  I  will  be 
ostracised,  perhaps  lose  my  employment  and  be  an  outcast  from 


OBEDIENCE.  471 

my  father's  house.  Better  that  1  reject  the  truth  and  live 
in  peace,  than  take  upon  me  this  cross  of  obedience1  to  unpopular 
truth." 

The  courageous  obey  the  Gospel,  suffer  persecution,  prove 
themselves  men,  and  will  attain  to  eteTnal  life.  The  other 
people  referred  to  are  slaves  to  their  own  fear  of  popular 
clamor  and  to  the  unseen  powers  of  darkness  which  lead  men 
to  reject  the  plan  of  salvation.  Of  the  first  named  class  are 
the  Latter-day  Saints,  a  host  of  men  and  women  who  have 
left  home,  kindred  and  country  for  the"  Gospel's  sake.  They 
have  endured  persecution  even  unto  death,  privation  and  suffer- 
ing in  every  form;  have  redeemed  a  desert  and  built  up  a 
commonwealth  so  fruitful  with  education,  thrift  and  enterprise 
that  any  nation  beneath  the  sun  might  well  be  proud  of  them. 
Their  obedience  and  moral  courage  they  bequeath  to  their  pos- 
terity is  a  legacy  better  than  diamonds  or  the  honors  and 
praise  of  a  fallen  world.  They  look  back  to  their  associates 
in  early  manhood  who,  for  fear,  rejected  the  truth,  and  find 
these,  whether  living  or  dead,  in  most  cases  unhonored  and 
unknown. 

The  obedience  rendered  by  Latter-day  Saints  to  the  authority 
of  the  priesthood  is  not  secured  by  virtue  of  any  solemn 
obligation  entered  into  by  the  adherent  to  obey  the  dictum  of 
his  superiors  in  office;  but  upon  the  nature  of  the  Gospel, 
which  guarantees  to  every  adherent  the  companionship  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  this  Spirit  secures  to  every  faithful  individual 
a  living  testimony  concerning  the  truth  or  falsity  of  every 
proposition  presented  for  his  consideration. 

"By  one  spirit  have  we  access  unto  the  Father."  (Eph  ii.) 
So  that  as  all  men  and  women  who  embrace  the  Gospel  are 
entitled  to  an  individual  testimony  of  the1  truth,  the  same 
spirit  guides  into  all  truth  reveals  the  things  of  the  Father  and 
imparts  the  inspiration  essential  to  preserve  mankind  from  a 
blind  obedience  to  erroneous  principle's  and  false  guides. 

The  statement  of  the  Savior,  recorded  in  St.  John  vii :  17, 
covers  the  ground  in  the  broadest  light:  "If  any  man  will  do 
His  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be1  of  God 
or  whether  I  speak  of  myself."  This  secures  to  every  true 
Saint,  if  he  is  faithful,  protection  against  imposture,  the  abuse 
of  power  and  the"  false  decisions  of  man-made  councils.  In 


472  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

this  particular  the  Church  of  Ohrist  is  distinguished  from  all 
other  systems  and  institutions.  He  has  promised  to  guide  and 
direct,  and  that  He  "doeth  nothing,  but  He  revealeth  His 
secrets  unto  His  servants,  the  prophets."  (Amos  iii :  7.)  This 
does  not  imply  the  infallibility  of  man,  but  it  does  imply  the 
promise  that  no  man  or  council  of  men  who  stand  at  the  head 
of  the  church  shall  have  power  to  lead  the  Saints  astray. 
With  this  assurance,  then,  the  people  of  God  in  every  dispensa- 
tion have  been  justified  in  rendering  absolute  yet  intelligent 
obedience  in  the  direction  of  the  holy  prophets.  It  is  an 
undeniable  fact  in  the  history  of  the  Saints  that  obedience  to 
whatever  has  come,  either  by  written  document  or  verbally, 
from  the  presidency  of  the  church,  has  been  attended  with  good 
results ;  on  the  other  hand,  whosoever  has  opposed  such  council, 
without  repentance,  has  been  followed  with  evidence  of  con- 
demnation. 

Applying  this  principle  of  obedience  to  organizations  of  a 
civil  and  business  character,  confusion  and  weakness  result 
from  men  refusing  their  support  to  the  decision  of  the  presiding 
authority  or  of  the1  majority,  where  the  action  is  left  to  popular 
vote.  Carlyle,  the  great  English  writer,  said :  "All  great 
minds  are  respectfully  obedient  to  all  that  is  over  them ;  only 
small  souls  are  otherwise." 

The  obedience  rendered  to  God  is  based  upon  a  conviction 
that  He  is  perfect  in  all  His  ways  possessing  the  attributes 
of  justice,  judgment,  knowledge,  power,  mercy  and  truth  in 
all  their  fullness.  Obedience"  to  His  appointed  authority  upon 
the  earth  is  obedience  to  Him,  and  is  so  taught  by  the  Savior. 
"He  that  receiveth  you  receiveth  me,  and  he  that  receiveth 
me  receiveth  Him  that  sent  me."  (Matthew  x:  40.)  He 
that  heareth  you  heareth  me;  and  he  that  despiseth  you  de- 
spiseth  me ;  and  he  that  despiseth  me,  despiseth  Him  that  sent 
uie.  (Luke  x:  16.)  "Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He  that  re- 
ceiveth whomsoever  I  send,  receiveth  me ;  and  he  that  receiveth 
me,  receiveth  Him  that  sent  me."  (St.  John  xiii:  20.) 

It  is  not  the  attractive  qualities  of  the  individual,  however 
great,  that  renders  submission  to  his  administration  valid,  but 
the  authority  of  God  which  he  fears.  The  acts  of  Philip, 
Stephen,  Paul  or  James  were  just  as  valid  and  binding  as 
those  of  the  Messiah  Himself,  when  performed  by  His  authority 
and  in  His  name.  To  reject  the  personal  teachings  and 


OBEDIENCE.  473 

offices  of  the  Savior  could  bring  no  greater  condemnation 
than  to  reject  the  teachings  of  any  man  sent  of  God  bearing 
authority  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  speak  and 
act  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  This  great  truth  was  taught 
by  the  Savior  on  more  than  one  occasion,  but  perhaps  no 
more  forcibly  or  in  more  beautiful  terms  than  in  the  follow- 
ing :  "When  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in  His  glory,  and 
all  the  holy  angels  with  Him,  then  shall  He  sit  upon  the 
throne  of  His  glory ;  and  before  Him  shall  be  gathered  all 
nations ;  and  He  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as 
a  shepherd  divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats.  And  He 
shall  set  the?  sheep  on  His  right  hand,  but  the  goats  on  the 
left.  Then  alhall  the  King  say  unto  them  on  His  right  hand, 
Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared 
for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  For  I  was  an 
hungered  and  ye  gave  me  meat ;  I  was  thirsty  and  ye  gave 
me  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  in ;  naked  and 
ye  clothed  me:  I  was  sick  and  ye  visited  me;  I  was  in  prison 
and  ye  came  unto  me.  Then  shall  the  righteous  answer  Him 
saying:  Lord,  when  saw  we  Thee  an  hungered  and  fed  Thee? 
or  thirsty  and  gave  Thee  drink?  When  saw  we  Thee  a  stranger 
and  took  Thee  in?  or  naked  and  clothed  Thee?  or  when  saw  we 
Thee  sick  or  in  prison  and  came  unto  Thee?  And  the 
King  shall  answer  and  say  unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done*  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of 
these,  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me."  When  He  told 
the  wicked  that  they  had  failed  to  thus  administer  unto  Him, 
they  began  to  plead  that  they  had  not  seen  Him  sick,  in 
prison,  hungry,  naked  or  athirst.  He  answered  them,  "Inas- 
much as  ye  did  it  not  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did 
it  not  unto  me."  (Matt,  xxvi:  31-46.) 

It  is  not  the  individuality  of  the  person  which  calls  for 
respect  and  consideration,  it  is  the  principle  involved.  God 
had  placed  His  authority  upon  humble  men.  Through  their 
administrations  can  be  secured  the  benefits!  and  blessings  which 
follow  obedience  to  the  ordinances  of  the*  Gospel.  Implicit 
obedience  must  be  rendered.  The  mandates  of  Jehovah  are 
imperative.  No  substitute  will  do.  The  condition  is  com- 
plete to  the  plan  of  salvation  as  established  by  Almighty  God. 
Saul  was  commanded  to  destroy  Agag  and  all  his  hosts,  man 


474  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

and  beast.  He  kept  the  best  of  the  flock  for,  he  said,  a 
sacrifice,  but  God  had  ordered  otherwise,  and  Saul's  disobedience 
caused  him  to  lose  the  kingdom,  shut  him  out  from  the"  revela- 
tions which  came  by  dream,  vision  and  the  Urim  and  Thum- 
nimt.  "Thou  shalt  not  steady  the  ark";  and  they  who  dis- 
obeyed were  smitten  of  the  Lord.  Israel  by  disobedience  lost 
the  guidance  of  the  Almighty,  went  into  spiritual  darkness,  and 
have  been  scattered  to  the  four  quarters  of  the  earth,  "a  hiss 
and  a  by-word  in  the  mouths  of  all  nations." 

Obedience  is  essential  to  salvation,  essential  to  success  in 
every  avenue  of  human  enterprise.  Whether  rendered  to  the 
laws  of  God  direct,  in  their  moral  and  spiritual  phases,  or  to 
His  authority  vested  in  .man,  obedience  must  be  implicit.  The 
haughty  man  boasts  of  independence.  He  scorns  the  humble 
followers  of  the"  Lord,  but  while  he  prates  of  freedom,  he  is 
himself  slavishly  obedient  to  his  own  whims  and  mistaken 
ideas  or  to  the  spirit  of  evil,  to  popular  sentiment  or  to  some 
other  influence  always  dangerous  to  the  welfare  of  mankind. 

The  Saints  have  befen  accused  of  being  priest-ridden  and 
fearful  to  use  their  own  judgment.  What  do  the  facts  show? 
They  are  only  asked  to  do  right,  live  pure  lives,  do  good  to 
all  men,  evil  to  none,  and  to  respect  the  order  of  God's  king- 
dom that  salvation  may  come"  to  them  and  be  extended  to  all 
the  world.  Their  obedience  has  made  them  the  best  and 
purest  body  of  people  on  the  earth.  What  of  the  character 
of  those  who  have  derided  the'm?  They  are  slaves  to  a  shallow 
and  excited  sentiment  or  to  wickedness  and  vice,  obedient  to 
their  own  lusts  and  wicked  ways.  Compared  with  those  they 
misrepresent  they  are  below  them  in  almost  every  trait  which 
characterizes  noble  manhood.  By  obedience  to  God  and  His 
priesthood  the  Saints  in  this  age  have  come  off  triumphant 
over  obstacles  within  and  foes  without.  By  obedience  to 
God  and  His  commands  they  will  continue1  the  blessed  and 
favored  of  the  Lord  forever.  They  have  proved  the  words 
of  Samuel  to  Saul,  verily  true :  "To  obey  is  better  than  sacri- 
fice, and  to  hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams." 


CHARITY. 

What  is  charity?  Does  it  consist  solely  in  the  giving  of 
bread  to  the  hungry,  clothes  to  the  naked  or  succor  to  the 
distressed?  "Though  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the1  poor, 
and  though  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  and  have  not  charity, 
it  profiteth  me  nothing.  Charity  suffereth  long,  and  is  kind; 
charity  envieth  not ;  charity  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed 
up ;  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly,  seeketh  not  her  own,  is 
not  easily  provoked,  thinketh  no  evil ;  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity, 
but  rejoiceth  in  the  truth ;  beareth  all  things,  believeth  all 
things,  hopeth  all  things,  endureth  all  things.  Charity  never 
faileth."  (I.  Cor.  xiii :  3-8.)  If  to  say  that  one  has  charity 
to  any  considerable  extent  requires  the  possession  of  all  the 
foregoing  characteristics,  then  we  may  truthfully  admit  that 
there  is  a  great  charity  famine  now  prevailing  throughout  the 
world. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  find  people  who  will  impart  of  their 
substance  to  feed  the  poor;  but  too  frequently  many  who 
do  so  will  look  with  scorn  upon  those  who  differ  from  them 
in  matters  of  religion,  politics  or  other  subjects.  Modern  his- 
tory records  many  instance's  where  people  noted  for  their  hospi- 
tality have  shown  intense  hatred  and  bitterness  toward  some 
who  have  come  into  their  midst  preaching  doctrines  which 
were  in  conflict  with  the  theories  they  and  their  fathers  had 
espoused. 

In  many  cases  mobs  have  been  headed  by  ministers  of  re- 
ligion, who  have  instigated  and  participated  in  shedding  the 
innocent  blood  of  their  fellow  beings  for  no  other  reason  than 
their  hatred  of  a  religion  different  from  their  own  Indeed, 
few  if  any  in  modern  Christendom  can  be  said  to  exemplify  in 
their  lives  all  the  traits  attributed  to  charity  in  the  quota- 
tion from  the  sayings  of  the  apostle  Paul.  Who  "suffers 
long"  without  a  murmur,  especially  if  the  suffering  comes  by 
oppression  from  an  outward  foe,  and  in  return  for  evil?  Who 
are  kind  to  those  who  wrong  them?  Where  is  he  who  "envieth 


476  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

not"  the  possessions  of  his  neighbor,  or  the  honors  and  emolu- 
ments of  office  enjoyed  by  others?  Who,  under  the  wave  of 
prosperity,  in  the  lap  of  luxury,  or  dwelling  in  popular  favor, 
"vaunteth  not"  himself,  "is  not  puffed  up"  or  "doth  not  behave 
himself  unseemly?"  Who  "seeketh  not"  his  own,  "but  rather" 
prefers  his  brother  before  himself?  Who  is  not  "easily  pro- 
voked," and  therefore  does  not  retaliate  against  those  who  may 
give  offense?  Who  "thinks  not  evil"  of  those  who  go  con- 
trary to  his  views,  but  the  motives  of  whose  hearts  he  knows 
nothing  about? 

How  many  persons  there  are  who  have  not  become  acquainted 
with  our  people,  yet  who,  through  the  circulation  of  scurrilous 
reports,  have  imbibed  deep-seated  prejudice  against  the  Latter- 
clay  Saints,  and  having  become  acquainted  with  them,  have 
rejoiced  to  find  them  a  better  people  than  such  preconceived 
ideas  had  led  them  to  the  belief  that  they  were?  In  mis- 
sionary experience,  the  Elders  frequently  have  found  many 
professing  Christians  exasperated  when  confronted  with  proof 
that  the  Saints  were  a  God-fearing,  virtuous,  temperate,  honest 
and  industrious  people.  Such  professors  "rejoice  in  iniquity," 
and  "love  darkness  rather  than  light,  because  their  deeds  are 
evil."  They  do  not  rejoice  in  truth,  but  rather  "have  pleasure 
in  unrighteousness."  Few  there  are,  even  among  the  Saints, 
who  fully  and  becomingly  "bear  all  things"  and  prove  themselves 
the  true  type  of  the  Savior  of  mankind,  who  preferred  ever  to 
suffer  wrong  than  to  do  wrong. 

Do  we  "believe  all  things"  and  "hope  for  all  things"  which 
have  been  predicted  by  the  prophets  since  the  world  began? 

Who  in  the  world  is  looking  for  angels  to  visit  the  earth 
in  the  last  days,  for  the  restoration  of  the  ancient  Gospel  in 
its  primitive  beauty  and  power?  Who  is  looking  for  the 
restoration  of  the  Jews  to  Palestine?  Who  looks  for  a  people 
to  build  a  temple  where  the  Savior  shall  suddenly  come,  and 
who  looks  for  Elijah  to  appear  before  that  great  and  terrible 
day  of  the  Lord's  coming,  when  the  wicked  shall  become  as 
stubble,  and  be  consumed  by  the  judgments  of  God?  If  these 
events  have  not  occurred  or  are  not  transpiring,  they  must  do 
so,  or  the  words  of  the  prophets  will  fail,  the  Scriptures  be 
proved  fallacious,  and  our  hope  is  vain.  And  he  who  believes 
not  these  things  has  not  charity.  If  he  had,  he  would  be 


CHARITY.  477 

patient  to  hear,  anxious  to  learn,  and  the  Lord  would  lead  all 
such  to  the  light.  Charity  should  be  sought  after  and  culti- 
vated by  the  Saints  above  all  other  people.  Our  professions 
are  greater.  If  our  deportment  contradicts  our  teachings,  our 
ignorance  is  more  apparent,  or  our  hypocrisy  is  more  pro- 
nounced. 

It  is  stated  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  that  "Charity  is  the 
pure  love  of  God."  By  this  plain  yet  comprehensive  definition, 
we  learn  that  unless  the  love  of  God  dwells  in  our  hearts  we 
have  not  charity.  This  love  for  the  salvation  of  mankind 
induces  the  true  servants  of  the  Lord  to  travel  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  without  the  shadow  or  hope  of  earthly  reward,  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  world.  Not  only  that ;  with  all  the 
self-denial  of  home  and  its  comforts  which  such  a  mission 
implies,  we  also  esteem  all  the  good  which  others  have,  not 
asking  them  to  forsake  one  truth  they  now  possess,  but 
inviting  them  to  receive  more  truth,  pointing  them  to  a  greater 
light,  and  leaving  them  perfectly  free  from  undue  persuasion 
to  receive  the  message  or  reject  it  as  they  may  choose. 

The  Prophet  Joseph  instructed  the  Twelve  and  the  Elders, 
in  preaching  the  Gospel,  not  to  tear  down  the  tenets  of  other 
men's  faith,  but  in  the  spirit  of  meekness  explain  the  Gospel 
and  bear  testimony  to  its  divinity,  leaving  all  mankind  abso- 
lutely the"  keeper  of  their  own  consciences,  to  do  as  they 
please  and  meet  the  responsibility  of  their  own  acts  at  the 
bar  of  eternal  justice.  Neither  should  it  be  forgotten  that 
much  of  the  labor  of  mankind,  without  a  knowledge  of  the 
Gospel,  in  many  respects  has  been  directed  by  a  divine  Provi- 
dence to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  mankind.  "There  is  a 
spirit  in  man,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  Almighty  giveth  them 
understanding."  The  achievements1  of  the  reformation  by 
Luther  and  others,  the  inventions  of  the  printing  press,  of 
electrical  machinery,  the  locomotive  and  the  steamboat,  the 
discovery  of  America,  the  revolution,  the  founding,  establish- 
ment and  perpetuity  of  our  civil  government  in  the  United 
States,  all  were  events  preparing  the  way  for  the  restoration 
of  the  Gospel  and  the  final  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  in  these  last  days. 

A  striking  instance1  of  divine  purpose  in  the  labors  of  men 
outside  the  true  church  is  pointed  out  in  a  revelation  given 


478  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

m  December,  1830,  to  Joseph  Smith,  Jr.,  and  Sidney  Rigdon. 
The  L/ord  said:  ''Behold,  verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  my  servant 
Sidney,  I  have  looked  upon  thee  and  thy  works.  I  have  heard 
thy  prayers  and  prepared  thee  for  a  greater  work.  Behold, 
thou  wast  sent  forth,  even  as  John,  to  prepare  the  way 
before  me,  and  before  Elijah,  which  should  come,  and 
thou  knewest  it  not.  Thou  didst  baptize  by  water  unto 
repentance,  but  they  received  not  the  Holy  Ghost.  But 
now  I  give  unto  thee  a  commandment,  that  thou  shalt  baptize 
by  water,  and  they  shall  receive*  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  laying 
on  of  the  hands,  even  as  the  apostles  of  old."  (Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  sec.  xxxv,  3-6.) 

The  revelation  given  December,  1830,  from  which  the  above1 
is  quoted,  was  upon  the  occasion  of  the  first  visit  of  Sidney 
Rigdon  and  Edward  Partridge  to  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith. 
The  labors  of  Sidney  Rigdon,  referred  to  in  the  quotation, 
must  have  alluded  to  his  ministry  in  the  Campbellite  church, 
for  he  had  been  in  the  Church  of  Christ  only  about  six  weeks 
when  this  revelation  was  given,  having  embraced  the  Gospel 
at  the  hands  of  Parley  P.  Pratt  and  fellow  missionaries 
near  Kirland,  Ohio,  late  in  October  or  early  in  November, 
1830. 

As  is  well  understood,  the  followers  of  Alexander  Campbell 
preach  faith,  repentance  and  baptism  by  immersion  for  the 
remission  of  sins.  These  views  Sidney  Rigdon  espoused  as 
being  better  than  what  he  already  had,  and  when  the  true 
Gospel,  in  its  fullness,  with  authority  from  God  to  administer 
the  ordinances  thereof,  found  him,  he  gladly  obeyed  the  same. 
In  about  three  weeks  from  the  time  Brother  Pratt  and  co- 
laborers  entered  Kirtland,  127  persons  were  baptized.  Subse- 
quently the  numbers  were  augmented  to  about  1,000  souls.  In 
the  providences  of  the  Lord,  Kirtland  soon  became  the  gather- 
ing place  of  the  Saints,  the  facilities  there  being  greatly  en- 
hanced by  so  many  people  embracing  the  Gospel  and  thus 
making  a  foothold  for  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  the 
Saints  who  should  follow  him  from  the  East.  There  the 
Kirtland  Temple  was  built.  There  the  Savior,  Moses  Elijah, 
Elias  and  other  ancient  worthies  appeared  to  the  prophet. 
There  the  endowments  were  given,  and  the  Spirit  from  on  high 
was  poured  out  in  the  last  days,  as  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost. 


CHARITY.  479 

All  these  subsequent  events,  of  such  a  glorious  character, 
show  how  distinctly  the  Lord's  hand  was  manifest  in  the  mission 
and  labors  of  Sidney  Rigdon  before  he  embraced  the  Gospel. 
Such  instances  serve  as  pointed  lessons  to  the  youth  of  Israel, 
teaching  us  to  be  broad  and  generous  in  viewing  the  labors  of 
those  not  of  us,  so  that  if  the  hand  of  Providence  is  mani- 
fest we  shall  not  be1  oblivious  thereto,  nor  be  found  in  the 
ranks  of  those  who  have  not  charity. 


THE  RESURRECTION. 

The  skeptical  doubt  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  Some 
scientific  men  have  denied  the  possibility  of  the"  actual  redemp- 
tion of  the  body  from  the  grave.  One  would  think,  as  time  goes 
on,  with  the  wonderful  developments  of  science  which  reveal 
things  that  were  classed  among  the  impossibilities  of  a  century 
ago,  that  it  is  not  reasonable  to  doubt  the  possibility  of  any- 
thing, however  remarkable",  which  is  within  the  scope  of  blessings 
to  mankind.  The  date,  in  the  past,  is  not  remote  when  it 
would  have  been  deemed  almost  an  indication  of  insanity  for  a 
man  to  say  that  such  an  instrument  as  the  X-ray  would  be 
invented,  by  which  a  photograph  of  the1  interior  of  the  human 
body  could  be  taken.  Astounding  as  it  may  appear,  such  is 
ROW  an  accomplished  fact,  and  this  is  but  one  of  the  many 
remarkable  and  grand  achievements  of  modern  times.  If 
such  things  are  possible  by  the  intelligence"  given  to  mortal  man, 
is  it  not  equally  probable  that  the  elements  which  enter  into 
the  composition  of  the  human  body  can  be  brought  together 
and  resuscitated  by  an  Omniscient  Being?  Is  the  resurrection 
any  more  unaccountable  from  a  natural  and  scientific  view 
than  the  organization  of  the  human  body  before  its  birth  into 
the  world?  Many  things  are  admitted  in  nature  to  be  a  fact, 
but  why  they  are  such,  the  most  learned  and  scientific  have 
been  unable  to  explain.  The  elements  in  any  substance  do  not 
become  annihilated ;  they  change  from  one  form  of  organization 
to  another.  Wheat,  by  a  grinding  and  separating  process, 
is  made  into  flour,  bran  and  shorts;  from  flour,  by  another 
process,  into  bread.  Each  change  produces  an  article  very 
different  in  appearance  from  the  one  preceding  it.  but  the 
same  elements  are  there.  They  are  eternal  and  indestructi- 
ble. This  being  true  of  all  forms  of  life  in  the  vegetable  king- 
dom, it  must  also  be  true  of  human  life. 

Even  Christians  dispute  with  respect  to  the  character  of 
the  resurrection  of  the  body,  some  believing  in  an  actual  resur- 
rection thereof,  and  others  denying  the  immortality  of  the 


THE   RESURRECTION.  481 

body  of  flesh  and  bones.  It  is  our  aim  simply  to  present 
the  statement  of  the  Scriptures,  which,  the  Latter-day  Saints 
claim,  are!  clear  in  declaring  the  actual  resurrection  of  the  body. 

Christ  is  the  first  fruits  of  the  resurrection  and  the  pattern 
of  what  is  an  eternal  principle,  applicable  to  all  mankind. 
As  He  took  up  the  same  body  which  was  laid  in  the  tomb,  so 
will  all  the  human  family  receive  a  renewal,  each  of  his  own 
body.  The  change  is,  that  the  blood,  which  is  the  life  of  the 
mortal  body,  will  not  occupy  the  immortal  one.  "Flesh  and 
blood  cannot  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God."  (I.  Cor.  xv :  50.) 
It  is  evident,  however,  that  flesh  and  bones  can  inherit,  occupied 
by  immortal  spirit ;  for  Jesus  was  the  type. 

After  His  resurrection  He  appeared  unto  many.  He  said 
to  His  disciples,  when  they  were  affrighted  and  supposed  they 
had  seen  a  spirit :  "Behold,  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is 
I  myself;  handle  me  and  see;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and 
bones,  as  ye  see  me  have."  (Luke  xxiv :  39.)  He  then 
showed  them  His  hands  and  feet,  which  had  been  pierced  with 
spikes  in  the  terrible1  hour  of  His  crucifixion.  While  He  was 
with  them  He  called  for  food,  and  they  gave  Him  broiled  fish 
and  honeycomb,  which  He  ate  in  their  presence. 

What  could  be  more  real,  more  tangible1  than  this?  When 
He  was  resurrected,  many  others  received  the  same  glorious 
blessing  and  came  bodily  out  of  their  graves.  "And  the 
graves  we're  opened ;  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints  which 
slept  arose,  and  came  out  of  the  graves  after  His  resurrection, 
and  went  into  the  holy  city  and  appeared  unto  many."  (Matt, 
xxvii:  52,  53.)  These  undoubtedly  were  the  bodies  of  the 
righteous  who  had  embraced  the  Gospel  in  the  various  dispen 
sations  prior  to  the  coming  and  atonement  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior.  The  antedeluvians  who  rejected  Noah  were  not  among 
this  number,  for  Peter  informs  us  that  the  Messiah,  when  put 
to  death  in  the  flesh,  was  "quickened  by  the  spirit;  by  which 
also  He  went  and  preached  unto  the  spirits  in  prison ;  which 
sometime  were  disobedient,  when  once  the  long  suffering  of 
God  waited  in  the  days  of  Noah."  (I.  Peter  iii :  18-20.) 

Is  this  not  a  beautiful  yet  terrible  lesson  to  all,  that  those 
who  hear  the  Gospel  in  the  flesh  and  reject  it  shall  not  come 
forth  in  the  first  resurrection,  but  remain,  their  bodies  mingling 
with  the  dust,  while  their  spirits  are  gathered  as  prisoners  in 
29 


482  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

the  pit,  awaiting  with  awful  anxiety  the  judgment  of  the  great 
day. 

The  Savior  Himself  said  to  His  disciples:  "Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  you  :  The"  hour  is  coming  and  now  is,  when  the 
dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God ;  and  they  that 
hear  shall  live."  (St.  John  v:  25.)  Continuing  His  re- 
marks, it  would  appear  that  He  spoke  of  the  two  resurrections, 
for  in  the  first,  which  took  place  when  He  came  forth  from 
the"  tomb,  the  saints  were  resurrected,  while  in  the  following 
verses,  twenty-eight  and  twenty-nine,  He  says:  "Marvel  not 
at  this;  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  which  all  that  are  in 
the  graves  shall  hear  His  voice,  and  shall  come  forth ;  they 
that  have  done  good,  unto  the  resurrection  of  life;  and  they 
that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 

The  reader  will  notice  that  the  twenty-fifth  verse  reads  "the 
de'ad,"  and  may  only  apply  to  the  righteous  as  coming  forth 
at  His  resurrection,  while  the  twenty-eighth  verse  says,  "All 
that  are  in  the  graves,"  which  would  make  it  universal  and 
apply  to  the  just  and  the  unjust,  the  evil  and  the  good.  This 
resurrection  of  the'  wicked  doubtless  applies  to  the  same  event 
that  is  recorded  in  the  book  of  Revelations  John  first  saw  the 
resurrection  of  the  righteous,  and  then  says:  "And  I  saw 
thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given 
unto  them:  and  I  saw  the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded 
for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of  God,  and  which 
had  not  worshiped  the  beast,  neither  his  image,  neither  had 
received  his  mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands; 
and  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years." 
( Rev.  xx  :  4. )  Glorious  thought !  The  righteous  rewarded 
for  all  their  trials  and  tribulations !  "Who  are  these  arrayed 
in  white,  brighter  than  the  noon-day  sun?"  "These  are  they 
which  have  come  up  through  great  tribulation,  washed  their 
robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  This 
reward  is  well  worth  all  the  hardships  incidental  to  preaching 
the  Gospel  and  living  the  life  of  a  Saint.  "But  the  rest  of  the 
dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand  years  were  finished. 
This  is  the  first  resurrection." 

"And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God ;  and 
the  books  were  opened;  and  another  book  was  opened,  which 
is  the  book  of  life;  and  the  dead  were1  judged  out  of  those 


THE  RESURRECTION.  483 

things  which  were  written  in  the  books  ;  *  *  *  and  they  were 
judged  every  man  according  to  their  works."  (Rev.  xx :  12,  13.) 

Nothing  could  be  more  literal,  more  tangible",  more  real  than 
this ;  nothing  more  just.  The  righteous  were  to  come  forth 
and  enjoy  a  thousand  years  of  absolute  peace  and  freedom 
from  the  tribulations  heaped  upon  them  by  the  wicked,  un- 
trammeled  with  trials  brought  upon  them  by  Lucifer;  free 
from  sickness,  sin  and  sorrow ;  living  in  the  personal  presence 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  full  enjoyment  of  the  earth  in  all 
its  paradisic  glory ;  justice  meted  out  to  the  wicked,  who  will  be 
denied  the  opportunity  to  revel  in  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  or  to 
persecute  those  who  "live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus.". 

No  wonder  that  Job  rejoiced  in  all  his  affliction,  because  his 
soul  was  enlightened  with  the  visions  of  the  future.  Not- 
withstanding his  bodily  pains  and  the  annoyance  of  friends 
who  attributed  his  afflictons  to  his  own  failings,  he  exclaimed 
from  the  depths  of  Ms  soul :  "Oh,  that  my  words  were  now 
written !  Oh,  that  they  were  printed  in  a  book !  That  they 
were  graven  with  an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock  forever ! 
For  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  He  shall  stand 
at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth.  And  though  after  my  skin 
worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh,  shall  I  see  God."  (Job 
xix:  23-26.)  Undoubtedly  this  great  and  good  man  was  resur- 
rected when  the  Messiah  was,  and  received  a  partial  fulfillment 
of  this  glorious  vision,  but  whatever  was  lacking  in  the  full 
realities  of  this  prophecy  will  be  complete  when  the  Son  of 
Man  shall  come,  in  His  glory,  to  reign  on  the  earth. 

Paul  said  to  the  Thessalonians  :  "For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus 
died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  also  which  sleep  in  Jesus 
will  God  bring  with  Him.  *  *  *  For  the  Lord  Himself 
shall  dscend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the  voice  of  the 
archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God ;  and  the  dead  in  Christ 
shall  rise  first."  (I.  Thess  iv :  14-16.)  This  agrees  with  the 
testimonies  already  quoted  from  the  Savior  and  the  apostle 
John  in  reference  to  the  resurrection  at  two  different  periods ; 
one  for  the  just  and  one  for  the  unjust. 

This  great  subject  is  also  portrayed  by  the  prophet  Daniel. 
In  the  seventh  chapter  of  his  prophecy,  ninth  and  twenty-second 
verses,  he  speaks  of  the  coming  of  the  "Ancient  of  Days."  The 
most  ancient  man  of  days  associated  with  this  earth  is  our 


484  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

father  Adam,  and  it  is  plain  that  he  has  a  great  part  to  perform 
in  placing  judgment  in  the  hands  of  the  Saints  and  subduing 
the  wicked.  It  would  appear  by  the  mission  to  be  performed 
by  Michael,  as  described  in  the  first  verse  of  the  twelfth  chap- 
ter of  Daniel,  and  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Revelations,  that 
Michael  and  the  Ancient  of  Days  are  the  same  person,  and  that 
he  will  be  upon  the  earth  at  the  opening  of  the  millennium  and 
will  dwell  in  the  midst  of  the  people  of  God. 

In  modern  revelation  the  Lord  has  said  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  "And  the  Lord  appeared  unto  them,  and  they  rose  up 
and  blessed  Adam,  and  called  him  Michael,  the  prince,  the 
archangel."  (Doctrine  and  Covenants,  Sec.  107,  verse  54.) 
In  connection  with  the  coming  of  Michael  in  the  last  days, 
Daniel  says1 :  "And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of 
the  earth  shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt."  (Daniel  xii :  2.) 

In  Paul's  address  before  Felix  he  refers  to  the  resurrection 
in  the  following  language :  "And  have  hope  toward  God, 
which  they  themselves  also  allow,  that  there  shall  be  a  resur- 
rection of  the  dead,  both  of  the  just  and  unjust."  (Acts 
xxiv :  15.)  Again  "Him  God  raised  up  the  third  day  ana 
shewed  Him  openly ;  not  to  all  the  people,  but  unto  witnesses 
chosen  before  of  God,  e'ven  to  us,  who  did  eat  and  drink  with 
Him  after  He  rose  from  the  dead.  And  He  commanded  us  to 
preach  unto  the  people,  and  to  testify  that  it  is  He  which  was 
ordained  of  God  to  be  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead."  This 
was  the  testimony  of  the  chief  apostle,  Peter,  when  the  Gospel 
was  first  delivered  to  the  Gentiles. 

It  is  evident  that  the  burden  of  the  teachings  and  testimonies 
of  the  apostles  was  to  establish  the  divinity  of  the  mission  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  This  necessarily  included  His  atonement 
and  resurrection.  The  fall  of  our  first  parents  brought  not 
only  a  banishment  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  which  may 
be  termed  a  spiritual  death,  but  it  caused  the  death  of  the1  phys- 
ical body.  When  an  atonement  was  wrought  out  as  a  redemp- 
tion from  that  fall,  it  would  be  incomplete  unless  it  brought 
to  pass  immortality  and  eternal  life  to  the  body. 

"The  spirit  and  the  body  is  the  soul  of  man."  The  body 
is  resurrected  from  the  grave,  independent  of  whether  the  indi- 
vidual in  this  life  was  good  or  bad,  as  shown  by  the  declarations 


THE  RESUBRECTION.  485 

of  Scrpture.  "For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  even  so  in  Christ  shai1 
all  be  made  alive4."  (I.  Cor.  xv :  22.)  Paul  describes  in  a 
very  definite  way  the  different  degrees  of  glory  in  the  resurrec- 
tion, which  vindicates  the  justice  of  God  in  rewarding  every  man 
according  to  his  works,  and  establishing  the  free  agency  of  man 
by  holding  him  personally  accountable  for  every  act  of  his 
life.  "There  are  also  celestial  bodies,  and  bodies  terrestrial; 
but  the  glory  of  the  celestial  is  one,  and  the  glory  of  the"  ter- 
restrial is  another.  There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  and  another 
glory  of  the  moon,  and  another  glory  of  the  stars ;  for  one  star 
differeth  from  another  star  in  glory.  So  also  is  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead."  (I.  Cor.  xv :  40-42.)  Jesus  said  to  the 
apostles:  "In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions:  If  it 
were  not  so  I  would  have  told  you.  I  go  to  prepare  a  place 
for  you  *  *  *  that  where  I  am  there*  ye  may  be  also." 
(St.  John  xiv:  2,  3.)  These  assertions  all  agree  that  there 
has  been  a  resurrection  (so  far  as  they  refer  to  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus  and  those  who  came  forth  from  their  graves  at 
the  same  time)  and  that  there  will  yet  be  two  more  resurrec- 
tions, one  of  the  just,  one  of  the  unjust.  The  only  reasonable 
conclusion  to  be  reached  by  reading  these  testimonies  is,  that 
the  resurrection  will  be  an  actual  reunion  of  the  spirit  and 
the  body. 

If  in  the  mind  of  the  reader  anything  seems  to  be  deficient  in 
the  conclusions  from  the  statements  quoted,  certainly  the  account 
of  the  resurrection  from  the  inspired  writings  of  Ezekiel  should 
dispel  every  doubt.  The  entire  thirty-seventh  chapter  of  Ezekiel 
should  be"  read.  In  this  vision  of  the  prophet  he  saw  the 
resurrection  of  the  house  of  Israel,  so  real  in  its  nature  that 
bone  came  to  bone,  sinew  to  sinew ;  flesh  and  skin  covered  the 
frame,  and  the  spirit  entered  the  body  of  each.  Thus  a  com- 
plete resurrection  of  the  bodies  was  wrought  out.  Ezekiel 
says,  after  the  Lord  commanded,  "So  I  prophesied  as  I  was 
commanded;  and  as  I  prophesied  there  was  a  noise,  and  be- 
hold, a  shaking,  and  the  bones  came  together,  bone  to  his  bone. 
And  when  I  beheld,  lo,  the  sinews  and  the  flesh  came  up  upon 
them,  and  the  skin  covered  them  above;  but  there  was  no 
breath  in  them.  *  *  *  Come  from  the  four  winds,  O 
breath,  and  breathe  upon  these  slain,  that  they  may  live. 
*  *  *  And  they  lived  and  stood  up  upon  their  feet,  an 


486  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTKINE. 

exceeding  great  army."  (Ezek.  xxxvii :  7-10.)  That  this  is 
to  be  an  actual  resurrection  of  the  bodies  of  the  dead  is  made 
plain  by  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  verses:  "Thus  saith  the 
Lord  God :  Behold,  O  my  people,  I  will  open  your  graves 
and  cause*  you  to  come  up  out  of  your  graves  and  bring  you 
into  the  land  of  Israel.  And  ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the 
Lord,  when  I  have  opened  your  graves,  O  my  people,  and 
brought  you  up  out  of  your  graves."  *  *  *  "Moreover,  I 
will  make  a  covenant  of  peace  with  them ;  it  shall  be  an  ever- 
fasting  covenant  with  them:  and  I  will  place  them,  and  multiply 
them,  and  will  set  my  sanctuary  in  the  midst  of  them  for- 
evermore.  (My  tabernacle  also  shall  be  with  them ;  yea,  I 
will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people."  (Verses  26, 
27. )  Thus  there  shall  be  a  real,  actual  resurrection  of  the1  body, 
a  complete  reunion  of  the  spirit  with  the  body. 

After  the  resurrection,  those  whose  bodies  and  spirits  are 
thereby  reunited  will  join  their  living  brethren,  receive  revelation 
from  God,  including  the  everlasting  covenant,  be  gathered  to 
their  own  lands,  and  continue  to  multiply  and  increase,  with  the 
sanctuary  of  God  in  their  midst,  and  with  His  divine  approval 
forevermore. 

How  beautiful,  how  joyous  to  contemplate",  and  how  real 
and  tangible  is  this,  as  contrasted  with  the  poor,  rambling, 
uncertain  theories  of  uninspired  men,  who  are  controlled  by 
the  systems  of  men  rather  than  guided  by  that  "more  sure 
word  of  prophecy,"  the  revelations  of  God. 

To  the  Latter-day  Saints  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  is 
a  living,  tangible  reality  because,  added  to  the  testimonies  of 
the  Jewish  Scriptures,  the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments,  and 
the  Book  of  Mormon,  which  corroborates  the  Bible,  they  have 
the  testimony  of  men  in  this  century,  who  have  seen  the  living 
bodies  of  resurrected  beings.  Joseph  Smith  was  a  man  of 
unblemished  character.  His  veracity  was  never  impeached. 
His  honor  in  religion,  in  morality  and  business  transactions, 
attested  by  friend  and  foe,  were  unsullied  to  the1  end  of  his 
mortal  career,  when  he  sealed  his  testimony  with  his  inno- 
cent blood.  His  testimony  is  that  he  saw  God  the1  Father  and 
His  Son  Jesus  Christ,  the  latter  on  several  occasions.  Joseph 
also  had  a  visitation  from  John  the  Baptist,  Peter,  James, 
John,  'Moses,  Elijah,  Moroni  and  other  ancient  prophets  of 


THE  RESURRECTION.  487 

God  who  lived  on  the  Eastern  or  Western  hemispheres.  He 
was  not  alone  in  being  a  witness  to  the  existence  of  resurrected 
beings.  Others  in  modern  times  also  have  seen  these,  and 
have  published  their  testimonies  to  the  world.  Those  who 
have  received  the  witness  of  the"  Holy  Ghost,  and  who  also 
know  that  there  is  a  resurrection  and  that  the  words  of  the 
Savior  and  the  prophets  are  true  and  faithful,  are  numbered 
by  the  thousands. 

This  is  my  testimony  on  the  subject :  I  testify  in  the  name  of 
the  resurrected  Redeemer  that  God  has  spoken  from  the  heavens 
in  this  age  of  the  world ;  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God, 
the  Redeeme'r  of  the  world ;  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  prophet 
of  the  Most  High,  and  received  the  revelations  of  God  for  the 
benefit  of  mankind ;  that  angels  and  ancient  prophets  visited 
him  and  delivered  to  him  the  keys  of  the  "dispensation  of  the 
fullness  of  times;"  that  Brigham  Young,  John  Taylor,  Wilford 
Woodruff,  Lorenzo  Snow,  each  in  his  time,  has  been  the  suc- 
cessor of  the  prophet  Joseph  Smith,  and  that  Joseph  F.  Smith 
is  now  such  successor.  I  also  testify  that  all  who  receive  this 
Gospel  with  honest  hearts  shall  know  that  the  doctrine  is  true, 
and  if  they  are  faithful  unto  death  shall  come  forth  in  the  res- 
urrection of  the  righteous,  to  live  and  reign  with  Christ  a 
thousand  years.  Those  who  reject  this  message,  and  who 
fight  against  the  truth  and  persecute"  the  advocates  thereof  will, 
unless  they  repent,  die  in  their  sins,  and  will  remain  unredeemed, 
their  bodies  in  the  earth,  their  spirits  in  bondage,  until  the1 
thousand  years  are  finished,  when  death,  hell  and  the  grave 
shall  deliver  up  their  dead  to  stand  before  God,  living,  resur- 
rected beings,  to  receive  the  reward  of  their  deeds,  whether  they 
be  evil  or  whether  they  be  good. 


THE  BOOK  OF  MORMON. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  in  this  brief  chapter  to  enter  into  a 
detailed  argument  on  the  divine  authenticity  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  but  to  state  sufficiently  what  the  sacred  record  pur- 
ports to  be.  The  Bible  records  some  of  the  leading  events  in 
the  dealings  of  the  Almighty  with  His  children  upon  the  East- 
ern hemisphere,  prefaced  by  the  Mosaic  history  of  the  creation. 
The  Book  of  Mormon  is  to  the  American  continent  what  the 
Bible  is  to  the  Eastern.  The  Bible  is  more  especially  the  stick 
of  Judah,  being  written  by  Jewish  prophets  and  apostles.  Of 
the  ten  tribes  carried  into  the  North  countries  and  lost  from  the 
world,  the  Bible  gives  no  account,  beyond  brief  statements  which 
go  to  prove  that  they  were  lost  to  the  rest  of  mankind. 

Of  the  various  colonies  "scattered  from  the1  tower  of  Babel" 
upon  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  according  to  Genesis,  chapter  xi., 
the  Bible  offers  no  information.  Of  the  branches  of  Joseph 
which  ran  over  the  boundary  walls  of  the  other  tribes  of  Jacob, 
extending  to  the  utmost  bound®  of  the  everlasting  hills,  the 
Jewish  record  is  silent. 

What  became  of  them?  Whither  did  they  flee,  and  are1  they 
lost  to  God?  Are  they  less  His  offspring  because  they  went  to 
people  other  lands?  From  the  time  the  ten  tribes  were  carried 
away,  no  communication  has  been  established  between  them  and 
the  Gentile  nations,  and  not  until  the  discovery  of  America  by 
Columbus  was  there  any  correspondence  between  the  aborigines 
of  America  and  the  countries  of  Europe  and  the  East.  Because 
these  were  lost  to  Jew  and  Gentile,  is  it  reasonable  to  suppose 
they  were  lost  also  to  Him  who  is  the1  Father  of  the  spirits  of 
all  flesh,  and  who  made  of  one  blood  all  nations  to  dwell  upon 
all  the  face  of  the  earth?  Reason,  mercy,  justice  and  the 
Bible  all  deny  that  these  should  not  have  revelations  from  God 
and  write  them  as  well  as  did  the  Jews.  Jesus  Himself  most 
emphatically  declared,  "There  is  nothing  covered,  that  shall  not 
be  revealed,  neither  hid,  that  shall  not  be  known."  (Luke 
xii:  2.)  The  Book  of  Mormon  reveals  the  fact  that  from  the 


THE  BOOK  OF  MOBMON.  489 

Tower  of  Babel  came  a  colony  of  people  to  the  Western  conti- 
nent They  were  led  by  a  prophet  to  whom  God  spake  and 
His  words  we're  written.  They  became  a  mighty  nation  on  this 
land,  having  prophets  and  inspired  men  to  lead  them.  Finally, 
like  the  Jews,  they  fell  into  apostasy  and  through  war  and 
bloodshed  became  extinct  as  a  nation.  The  Book  of  Mormon 
gives  a  brief  review  of  their  rise*,  progress  and  fall.  It  also 
records  the  fact  that  in  the  days  of  Jeremiah,  two  colonies 
came  from  Jerusalem  to  America,  years  before  Christ.  It 
gives  a  history  of  God's  dealings  with  them  until  four  hundred 
years  after  Christ,  covering  a  period  of  one  thousand  years. 

From  the  Book  of  Mormon  we  also  have  light  thrown  upon 
sayings  of  the  Savior,  recorded  in  the  New  Testament.  He 
said  to  the  Twelve,  "Other  sheep  I  have  which  are  not  of  this 
fold.  Them  also  I  must  bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice; 
and  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd."  (St.  John  x:  16.) 
Who  can  tell  us  where  those  other  sheep  were*  and  when  the 
Savior  visited  them?  He  said  they  should  hear  His  voice. 
The  Book  of  Mormon  gives  the  history  of  this  visit  to  the  de- 
scendants of  Jacob  upon  this  land.  He1  organized  His  church 
among  them,  with  apostles,  prophets,  etc.,  "one  fold  and  one 
shepherd."  This  occurred  subsequent  to  His  resurrection. 
While  teaching  His  disciples  on  this  land,  He  told  them  of 
this  statement  to  the  Jewish  apostles,  that  He  had  other  sheep 
to  visit ;  and  to  the  apostles  chosen  upon  this  land  He  said, 
"I  have  other  sheep  which  are  not  of  this  land;  neither  of  the 
land  of  Jerusalem;  neither  in  any  parts  of  that  land  round 
about,  whither  I  have  been  to  minister.  For  they  of  whom  I 
speak  are  they  who  have  not  as  yet  heard  my  voice;  neither 
have  I  at  any  time  manifested  myself  unto  them.  But  I  have 
received  a  commandment  of  the  Father  that  I  shall  go  unto 
them,  and  that  they  shall  hear  my  voice  and  shall  be  numbered 
among  my  sheep,  that  there  may  be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd; 
Therefore  I  go  to  show  myself  unto  them."  (III.  Nephi,  chap- 
ter xvi:  1-3.) 

These  sayings  of  our  Savior  afford  the  only  present  scriptural 
and  reasonable  interpretation  of  the  parable  in  Matthew,  thir- 
teenth chapter:  "The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  leaven, 
which  a  woman  took,  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal, 
till  the  whole  was  leavened."  The  leaven  must  be  a  symbol 


490  COWLEY  '8  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

of  the  Gospel,  as  its  effects  upon  the  meal  to  lighten  and  pre- 
pare it  for  use  are  like  the  effects  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ  upon 
the  hearts  of  those  who  obey  the  same,  viz.,  to  refine  and  purify 
that  men  may  be  prepared  for  the  kingdom  of  the  Father. 
The  three  measures  of  meal  doubtless  are  representative  of 
three  divisions  of  the  house  of  Israel.  These"  were,  according 
to  the  Book  of  Mormon,  the  Jews1  in  Palestine,  the  seed  of 
Joseph  on  the  Western  hemisphere,  and  the  ten  tribes  in  the 
North  country.  These  all  were  visited  by  the  Savior.  They 
heard  His  voice  and  were  taught  of  Him  "one  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism,"  that  there  might  be  "one  fold  and  one  shepherd." 
The  Gospel  going  to  the  Gentiles  could  have  no  part  in  the  ful- 
fillment of  the  parable  of  the  three  measures  of  meal,  because 
the  Messiah  never  did  visit  the  Gentiles,  and  He  says  of  the 
other  sheep,  "they  shall  hear  my  voice."  The  only  account  of 
such  an  event  given  to  mankind  thus  far  is  that  recorded  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon.  If  that  is  not  the  true  one,  then  we  must 
look  for  one  no  less  remarkable  and  no  less  in  conflict  with  the 
spiritual  bigotry  and  ignorance  of  the  nineteenth  century.  That 
there  should  be  a  record  kept  by  another  branch  of  Israel  than 
the  Jewisih  tribe,  is  plainly  set  forth  by  Ezekiel  in  his  thirty- 
seventh  chapter,  where  the  Lord  commands  the  prophet  to  take 
"one  stick"  and  write  upon  it  for  Judah  and  his  brethren,  and 
another  stick  and  write  upon  it  for  Ephraim  and  his  brethren, 
and  then  predicts  that  they  shall  become  one  in  the  hand  of 
the  Lord.  The  Book  of  Mormon  claims  to  be  the  stick  of 
Joseph,  and  it  and  the  Bible  have  become  one  in  the  hand  of 
the  Lord  in  these  last  days.  Each  corroborates  the  other. 
They  are  one  in  doctrine,  one  in  prophecy,  one  in  history  so- 
far  as  thf.y  treat  upon  the  same  events.  Each  throws  light  upon 
the  other,  and  yet  bear  the  marks  of  having  been  written  far 
apart  by  a  different  people,  of  different  surroundings  and  educa- 
tion. 

Isaiah  speaks  of  a  book  (see  Isa.  xxix.)  that  should  come 
forth.  And  "the  vision  of  all  is  become  unto  you  as  the  words 
of  a  book  -that  is  sealed,  which  men  deliver  to  one  that  is 
learned,  saying,  read  this,  I  pray  thee:  and  he  sayeth,  I  can 
not;  for  it  is  sealed:  And  the  book  is  delivered  to  him  that  is 
not  learned,  s'aying,  Read  this,  I  pray  thee:  and  he  sayeth,  I 
am  not  learned."  This  prophecy  was  verified  as  set  out  in  a 


THE  BOOK   OF   MORMON.  491 

previous  chapter.  The  book  itself  was  delivered  by  an  angel 
to  the  young  man  Joseph  Smith,  with  the  injunction  that  they 
should  never  be  used  to  get  gain,  but  for  the  salvation  of  man- 
kind. Joseph,  feeling  his  own  weakness  and  knowing  that  he 
could  not  of  himself  translate  them,  acknowledged  that  he  was 
not  learned.  He  was  told  that  he  should  translate  them  by  the 
gift  and  power  of  God,  which  he  did  by  the  use  of  the  Urim 
and  Thummim,  the  instrument  used  by  seers  of  old.  Thus 
were  the  words  of  the  prophet  Isaiah  verified. 

No  amount  of  credulity  could  make  a  reasonable  mind  believe 
that  Joseph  Smith,  an  unlettered,  unsophisticated  boy  of  twenty- 
two  years,  could  prepare  such  a  scheme,  conniving  with  men  of 
maturer  years  to  aid  him  in  the  fraud,  that  the  words  of  an 
ancient  prophet,  spoken  2,500  years  before,  should  be  literally 
fulfilled.  The  probability  is  that  neither  Joseph  Smith,  Martin 
Harris  nor  Prof.  Anthon  knew  anything  of  the  words  of  Isaiah 
relating  to  such  a  record.  Prof.  Anthon  was  not  in  sympathy 
with  Joseph  Smith  and  became  an  avowed  opponent  of  the  Book 
of  Mormon.  What  he  said  in  fulfillment  of  prophecy  in  this 
instance  regarding  the  Book  of  Mormon  may  be  said  of  all 
others,  for  many  have  been  verified  since  it  came  forth — prophe- 
cies regarding  it  and  predictions  in  the  book  itself. 

The  Psalmist  David  said  that  "Truth  shall  spring  out  of  the 
earth  and  righteousness  shall  look  down  from  heaven."  The 
Book  of  Mormon  was  written  upon  metallic  plates,  and  hidden 
in  the  earth  400  years  after  Christ.  They  literally  came  out 
of  the  earth,  and  righteousness  in  the  personage  of  a  holy  angel 
came1  down  from  heaven  and  placed  them  in  the  hands  of  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith.  Isaiah  speaks  of  the  ancient  seers 
being  covered,  and  that  in  the  latter  days  their  speech  should 
be  "low  out  of  the  dust."  The  Book  of  Mormon  was  written 
by  seers  upon  the  American  continent.  Through  martyrdom 
they  had  been  covered  and  their  words  lost  to  the  apostate 
Lamanites  for  many  generations.  In  the  last  days,  however, 
their  words  came  forth.  They  speak  "out  of  the  dust"  and  light 
shine's  upon  the  hidden  mysteries  of  a  whole  continent,  revealing 
a  period  of  ten  centuries. 

Among  the  many  prophecies  in  the  Book  of  Mormon  verified 
since  its  publication  in  1829,  is  one  found  in  II.  Nephi,  chapter 
29,  verse  3 :  "And  because  my  words  shall  hiss  forth,  many  of 


492  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

the  Gentilefs  shall  say,  A  Bible !  A  Bible !  we  have  got  a  Bible 
and  there  cannot  be  any  more  Bible. 

"But  thus  saith  the  Lord  God:  O  fools,  they  shall  have  a 
Bible;  and  it  shall  proceed  forth  from  the  Jews,  mine  ancient 
covenant  people.  And  what  thank  they  the  Jews  for  the  Bible 
which  they  receive  from  them?  Yea,  what  do  the  Gentiles 
mean?  Do  they  remember  the  travels,  and  the  labors,  and  the 
pains  of  the  Jews,  and  their  diligence  unto  me,  in  bringing  forth 
salvation  umto  the  Gentiles?  O  ye  Gentiles,  have  ye  remem- 
bered the  Jews,  mine  ancient  covenant  people?  Nay;  but  ye 
have  cursed  them,  and  have  hated  them,  and  have  not  sought  to 
recover  theim.  But  behold,  I  will  return  all  these  things  upon 
your  own  heads;  for  I  the  Lord  have  not  forgotten  my  people. 
Thou  fool,  that  shall  say,  A  Bible,  we  have  got  a  Bible,  and  we 
need  no  more  Bible.  Have  ye  obtained  a  Bible,  save  it  were 
by  the  Jews? 

"Know  ye  not  that  there  are  more  nations  than  one?  Know 
ye  not  that  I,  the  Lord  your  God,  have  created  all  men,  and 
that  I  remember  those  who  are  upon  the  isles  of  the  sea;  and 
that  I  rule  in  the  heavens  above,  and  in  the  efarth  beneath ;  and 
I  bring  forth  my  word  unto  the  children  of  men,  yea,  even  upon 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth?  Wherefore  murmur  ye,  because 
that  ye  shall  receive  more  of  my  word?  Know  ye  not  that  the 
testimony  of  two  nations  is  a  witness  unto  you  that  I  am  God, 
that  I  remember  one1  nation  like  unto  another?  Wherefore,  I 
speak  the  same  words  unto  one  nation  like  unto  another.  And 
when  the  two  nations  shall  run  together,  the  testimony  of  the 
two  nations  shall  run  together  also.  And  I  do  this  that  I  may 
prove  unto  many,  that  I  am  the  same"  yesterday,  today,  and 
forever ;  and  that  I  speak  forth  my  words  according  to  mine 
own  pleasure.  And  because  that  I  have  spoken  one  word,  ye 
need  not  suppose  that  I  cannot  speak  another ;  for  my  work 
is  not  yet  finished;  neither  shall  it  be,  until  the  end  of  man; 
neither  from  that  time  henceforth  and  forever. 

"Wherefore,  because  that  ye  have  a  Bible,  ye  need  not  suppose 
that  it  contains  all  my  words ;  neither  need  ye  suppose  that  I 
have  not  caused  more  to  be  written :  For  I  command  all  men. 
both  in  the  East  and  in  the  West,  and  in  the  North,  and  in  the 
South,  and  in  the  islands  of  the  sea,  that  they  shall  write  the 
tvords  which  I  speak  unto  them;  for  out  of  the  books  which 


THE   BOOK   OF   MORMON.  493 

shall  be  written,  I  will  judge  the  world,  every  man  according 
to  their  works,  according  to  that  which  is  written. 

"For  behold,  I  shall  speak  unto  the  Jews,  and  they  shall  write 
it ;  and  I  shall  also  speak  unto  the"  Nephites,  and  they  shall  write 
it ;  and  I  shall  also  speak  unto  the  other  tribes  of  the  house  of 
Israel,  which  I  have  led  away,  and  they  shall  write  it ;  and  I 
shall  also  speak  unto  all  nations  of  the  earth,  and  they  shall 
write  it.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  the  Jews  shall  have1  the 
words  of  the  Nephites,  and  the  Nephites  shall  have  the  words 
of  the  Jews ;  and  the  Nephites  and  the  Jewsi  shall  have  the1 
words  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel ;  and  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel 
shall  have  the  words  of  the  Nephites  and  the  Jews.  And  it 
shall  come  to  pass  that  my  people  which  are  of  the  house  of  Israel, 
shall  be1  gathered  home  unto  the  lands  of  their  possessions ;  and 
my  word  also  shall  be  gathered  in  one.  And  I  will  shew  unto 
them  that  fight  against  my  word  and  against  my  people,  who 
are  of  the  house  of  Israel,  that  I  am  God,  and  that  I  covenanted 
with  Abraham,  that  I  would  remember  his  seed  forever." 

It  has  been  decreed  by  the  Almighty,  and  spoken  of  by 
Book  of  Mormon  prophets  that  slavery  should  not  obtain  and 
be  perpetuated  upon  this  land :  "Behold,  this  is  a  choice1  land, 
and  whatsoever  nation  shall  possess  it  shall  be  free  from  bond- 
age, and  from  captivity,  and  from  all  other  nations  under 
heaven,  if  they  will  but  serve  the  God  of  the  land,  who  is 
Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  been  manifested  by  the  things  which 
we  have  written."  (Ether  ii :  12.)  This  decree  of  the  Al- 
mighty has  determined  the  history  of  this  country  from  the 
beginning,  so  far  as  internal  slavery  and  freedom  from  bond- 
age of  other  nations  is  concerned.  If  the  skeptic  shall  say 
that  the  prophecy  was  published  to  the  world  long  after  the 
freedom  of  the  American  colonies  and  the  independence  of  this 
government  were  attained,  we  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
slavery  has  been  abolished  in  this  land  since  then,  and  that  no 
nation  which  has  made  war  with  the  United  State's  has  ever 
succeeded,  and  never  will,  unless  the  inhabitants  of  this  land 
shall  become  overwhelmed  in  iniquity  and  abominations. 

Another  striking  prediction  contained  in  the  Book  of  Mormon 
is  the  following:  "And  this  land  shall  be1  a  land  of  liberty 
unto  the  Gentiles,  and  there  shall  be  no  kings  upon  the  land, 
who  shall  raise  up  unto  the  Gentiles ;  and  I  will  fortify  this 


491  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

land  against  all  other  nations ;  and  he  that  fighteth  against  Zion 
shall  perish,  saith  God;  For  he  that  raiseth  up  a  king  against 
me  shall  perish,  for  I,  the1  Lord,  the  king  of  heaven,  will  be  their 
king,  and  I  will  be  a  light  unto  them  forever,  that  hear  my 
words."  (II.  Nephi  x:  11-14.)  Gradually,  yet  with  certain 
progress,  has  the  government  of  kings  been  abolished  from  the 
American  continent  until  nearly  all  governments  in  North  and 
South  America  are  republics.  Canada  is  still  under  the  rule  of 
Great  Britain,  but  is  managed  in  such  a  manner  that  the  liberties 
of  the  people  are  almost,  if  not  quite  equal  to  those  of  a  repub- 
lican territory.  Those  who  know  the  history  of  the  effort  to 
make  Maximilian  a  king  in  Mexico  also  know  how  terribly  the 
words  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  have  been  verified :  "For  he  that 
raiseth  up  a  king  unto  me  shall  perish." 

This  continent  is  the  land  of  Zion,  "and  he  that  fighteth 
against  Zion  shall  perish,  saith  God."  Before  the  late  Spanish- 
American  war,  George  Q.  Cannon  read  these  predictions  from 
the  Book  of  Mormon  before  a  congregation  in  the  Tabernacle, 
and  with  a  knowledge  that  these  prophecies  were  given  of  the 
Lord  foretold  the  result  of  the  war  and  the  certain  banishment  of 
Spanish  kingly  power  from  the  American  isles*.  Other  prophe- 
cies of  the  sacred  volume  have  been  verified  since  its  publication 
to  the  world.  Those  verified  should  establish  faith  in  reasona- 
ble minds  that  the  unfulfilled  parts  will  surely  come  to  pass. 

The  external  evidences  afforded  by  archa3ologists  to  the  divine 
authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  are  very  numerous ;  they 
may  be  ascertained  by  a  careful  study  of  the  sacred  volume 
and  a  comparison  with  the  discoveries  of  later  times,  in  the 
ruins  of  ancient  cities,  towns,  temples,  roadways,  etc.,  which 
have  been  brought  to  light  and  are  treated  upon  in  the  writings 
of  Stevens  and  Catherwood,  Dr.  Le  Plongeon,  and  many  other 
eminent  antiquarians.  While  the  Book  of  Mormon  without 
investigation  is  discarded,  its  opponent  is  led  to  prove  its  di- 
vinity by  his  researches  into  archaeology.  In  connection  with 
the  coming  forth  of  this  word  Isaiah  said,  "The  wisdom  of 
their  wise  men  shall  perish,  and  the  understanding  of  their 
prudent  men  shall  be  hid." 

All  the  old  subterfuges  published  against  the  book  have  been 
exploded  long  since,  and  yet  people  are  still  repeating  them. 
It  was  stated  that  Joseph  Smith's  ingenuity  and  Sidney  Rigdon's 


THE  BOOK   OF   MORMON.  495 

learning  devised  the  Book  of  Mormon  from  the  Solomon  Spauld- 
ing  romance.  The  Book  of  Mormon  was  published  to  the  world 
before  Joseph  Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon  ever  saw  each  other. 
Prof.  Fairchild  of  the  Oberlin  College  in  Ohio,  examined  the 
Spaulding  manuscript  and  compared  it  with  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon ;  he  then  testified  over  his  signature  that  there"  was  no 
similarity  between  them. 

Some  people  have  ridiculed  the  record  because  in  point  of 
literary  merit  it  did  not  equal  the  Jewish  record,  the  Holy 
Bible.  If  this  were  any  just  cause  of  rejection,  why  not  dis- 
card several  books  in  the  Bible  because  their  literature  does  not 
equal  in  merit  the  writings  of  the  patriarch  Job?  But  laying 
this  aside1,  the  Book  of  Mormon  offers  its  own  explanation  of  lit- 
erary defect.  "Condemn  me  not  because  of  mine  imperfection ; 
neither  my  father,  because  of  his  imperfections;  neither  them 
who  have  written  before  him,  but  rather  give  thanks  unto 
God  that  He  hath  made  manifest  unto  you  our  imperfections, 
that  ye  may  learn  to  be  more  wise  than  we  have  been.  And  now 
behold,  we  have  written  this  record  according  to  our  knowledge 
in  the  characters,  which  are  called  among  us  the  Reformed 
Egyptian,  being  handed  down  and  altered  by  us,  according  to 
our  manner  of  speech.  And  if  our  plates  had  been  sufficiently 
large,  we  should  have  written  in  Hebrew;  but  the  Hebrew  hath 
been  altered  by  us  also :  and  if  we  could  have  written  in  Hebrew, 
behold,  ye  would  have  had  no  imperfection  in  our  record.  But 
the  Lord  knoweth  the  things  which  we  have  written,  and  also 
that  none  other  people  knoweth  our  language,  therefore  He 
hath  prepared  means  for  the  interpretation  thereof."  (Mormon 
ix  :  31-34. )  In  the  preface  of  the  record  is  written :  "And 
now  if  there  be  faults,  they  are  the  mistakes  of  men,  where- 
fore condemn  not  the1  things  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  found 
spotless  at  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ."  "But  he  that  believeth 
these  things  which  I  have  spoken,  him  will  I  visit  with  the  mani- 
festations of  my  Spirit,  and  he  shall  know  and  bear  record. 
For  because  of  my  Spirit,  he  shall  know  that  these  things  are 
true;  for  it  persuadeth  men  to  do  good."  (Ether  iv:  11.) 
Again,  "And  whoso  receiveth  this  record,  and  shall  not  condemn 
it  because  of  the  imperfections  which  are  in  it,  the  same  shall 
know  of  greater  things  than  these.  Behold,  I  am  Moroni; 
and  were  it  possible,  I  would  make  all  things  known  unto  you." 


496  COWLEY'S  TALKS  OH  DOCTRINE. 

(Mormon  viii :  12.)  Those  persons  who  would  esteem  literary 
imperfections  an  evidence  against  the  divine  authenticity  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  must  belong  to  one  of  two  classes — 'they  are 
either  not  honest  at  heart  and  are  seeking  opportunity  to  evade 
the  responsibility  of  knowing  the  truth,  or  they  are  shallow- 
minded,  and  to  the  world  of  sound  reason,  good  judgment,  and 
practical  ability  prefer  the"  shadow  compared  with  the  substance. 
He  "that  will  do  the  will  of  the  Father  shall  know  of  the  doc- 
trine," is  the  promise  of  our  Savior;  and  the  promises  in  the 
Book  of  Mormon  that  those  who  will  not  condemn  the  things  of 
God  because  of  human  imperfections,  but  shall  receive  greater 
knowledge,  are  plain  enough  to  condemn  the  world  if  they  re- 
ject them,  as  much  as  the  teachings  of  the  Jewish  record  shall 
conde'mn  mankind  if  they  will  not  hearken. 

The  truth  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  affirmed  by  the  direct 
testimony  of  four  witnesses — Joseph  Smith,  Oliver  Cowdery, 
David  Whitmer  and  Martin  Harris,  who  saw  the  angel  Moroni, 
and  the  ancient  plates  from  which  the  sacred  volume  was  trans- 
lated. None  of  them  ever  wavered  from  that  testimony.  They 
maintained  it  under  great  trials  and  persecutions  to  the  end, 
and  Joseph  Smith  sealed  his  testimony  with  his  life,  a  martyr  to 
the  truth.  Eight  other  men,  whose  names  are  recorded  in  the 
fore*  part  of  the  book,  saw  and  handled  the  plates.  Many 
thousands  of  people  from  various  lands  and  climes  have  read 
the  book  with  prayerful  hearts,  have  received  the  ordinances  of 
the  Gospel  and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  solemnly  testify 
that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  a  divine  record.  Added  to  this 
I  testify,  as  an  humble  disciple  of  the  Lord,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  who  is  our  Redeemer,  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  prophet  of 
the  living  God  and  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  a  divine  record,  re- 
vealed by  the  God  of  heaven  and  translated  by  the  gift  and 
power  of  God  as  a  witness  unto  this  and  all  future  generations 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  that  the  Bible  is  true,  that  there  is  but 
one  plan  of  salvation,  and  that  Jesus  taught  the  same  plan  to 
the  Jews,  to  the  seed  of  Joseph  and  to  the  lost  tribes  by  his  own 
personal  ministrations.  He  also  sent  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles 
by  the  hands  of  His  apostles,  and  thereby  shows  to  all  men  in 
every  land  and  in  all  ages  that  God  changes  not,  and  is  the  same 
today,  yesterday  and  forever. 


MARRIAGE. 

No  people  hold  more  sacred  the  principle  of  marriage,  nor 
esteem  more  highly  the  possession  of  chastity,  than  do  the 
Latter-day  Saints.  Among  no  people,  either  Catholic  or  Prot- 
estant, is  a  lapse  of  virtue  so  rare  as  among  this  people.  We 
consider  sexual  crime  the  most  blighting  curse  that  infests  the 
earth  today.  Adultery  is  considered  as  next  in  the  catalogue 
of  crime  to  murder.  Individuals  guilty  of  fornication  or 
adultery  are  promptly  excommunicated  from  the  church,  unless 
the  sin  is  followed  by  the  most  profound  repentance  and  the 
best  reparation  which  can  possibly  be  made.  The  children 
around  the  family  altar,  in  Sunday  school,  Mutual  Improve- 
ment Associations,  Primary  Associations,  and  all  the  institu- 
tions of  the  church,  are  taught  to  hold  their  virtue  more  sacre'd 
to  them  than  life  itself.  When  they  attain  to  years  of  ma- 
turity and  enter  the  holy  state  of  matrimony,  they  vow  before 
God,  angels  and  living  witnesses  that  they  will  never  violate  the 
marriage  covenants. 

We  believe  that  God  ordained  the  union  of  the  sexes  in 
marriage,  not  only  for  time  but  for  all  eternity.  It  is  greatly 
due  to  this  fact  and  the  defeply  religious  element  which  enters 
into  marriage  among  our  people,  that  divorces  are  so  rare. 
Young  men  and  women  are  taught  that,  while  pure  love  and 
perfect  congeniality  should  exist  between  the  parties  to  the 
marriage  covenants,  passion  and  infatuation  should  not  be  the 
ruling  motive,  but  principle  should  control ;  and  that  in  the 
weakness  of  humanity  the  dangers  of  mistakes  in  the  mating  of 
the"  sexes  are  so  great,  the  only  safe  way  is  to  seek  in  prayer 
and  supplication  the  guidance  of  divine  Providence;  they  are 
also  taught  to  so  live  in  daily  walk  and  conversation  that  their 
heavenly  Father  will  answer  their  prayers  To  feel  sublimely 
impressed  that  marriage  is  for  all  eternity,  and  that  God  is 
directly  interested  in  us,  tends  to  make  people  more  careful 
and  considerate,  more  prayerful  in  choosing  a  husband  or  wife, 
than  otherwise  they  would  be.  The1  result  of  such  teaching  is 
30 


498  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

a  far  greater  percentage  of  happy  unions  and  a  much  smaller 
percentage  of  divorces  among  the  Latter-day  Saints  than  among 
other  Christian  communities. 

The  primary  design  of  marriage-,  to  "multiply  and  replenish 
the  earth"  and  not  to  gratify  lust,  is  upheld  by  the  Latter-day 
Saints  as  in  no  other  community.  The  consequence  is  two- 
fold. Infanticide,  foeticide  and  illegitimacy  are  very  rare.  The 
two  former  practice's,  so  common  in  the  world  and  adopted  to 
lessen  the  responsibility  of  child-bearing  while  increasing  the 
facilities  for  lustful  gratification,  are  esteemed  by  this  people 
as  abominations  in  the  sight  of  God,  little  short  of  out- 
right murder  in  heinousness.  Parties  known  to  be  guilty  of 
such  acts  would  not  bo  fellowshiped  in  any  sense,  but  would 
be  cast  out  of  the  church  without  hesitation.  The  result  of 
such  high  regard  for  the  purposes  of  the  Lord  in  marriage  is, 
that  the  percentage  of  children  in  every  family  is  much  larger 
on  the  average  than  it  is  among  any  other  Christian  com- 
munity of  equal  population.  Because  the  children  are  numer- 
ous they  are  not  weaker  but  usually  stronger  in  body  and 
intellect  than  in  communities  where  the  blighting  curse  of 
a  reprehensible  modern  custom  prevails.  The  wives  of  men 
thus  taught  and  convinced  of  the  sacredness  of  their  pro- 
creative  functions  are  healthier  and  happier  in  the  home  than  are 
the  wives  and  mothers  in  other  communities.  Prof.  PMneas 
Priest,  a  non-"Mormon"  phrenologist  who  traveled  among  the 
"Mormon"  people  in  Idaho  and  Utah,  said  that  in  aJi  his  travels 
he  had  not  found  so  large  a  percentage  of  healthy  aud  intelli- 
gent children,  with  a  corresponding  condition  of  health  and 
happiness  on  the  part  of  the  mothers,  as  he  had  among  the 
"Mormon"  people. 

As  to  the  eternity  of  the  marriage  covenant,  a  helpmeet  was 
provided  for  man  before  death  entered  the  world  and  the'refore 
death  could  not  prevail  against  the  covenants  of  the  Lord. 
"And  the  Lord  God  said.  It  is  not  good  that  the  man  should  be 
alone.  I  will  make  him  an  helpmeet  for  him."  (Gen.  ji:  18.) 
The  Savior  came  and  offered  up  a  sacrifice  to  redeem  man  from 
the  fall,  to  destroy  death  and  all  the  effects  thereof.  If  His 
atonement  simply  redeemed  the  body  from  the  grave,  without 
restoring  the  condition  of  the  Paradise  lost,  it  would  be  alto- 


MARRIAGE.  499 

gether  incomplete,  and  the  words  of  Paul  would  be  without 
effect  wherein  he  said  to  the  Corinthians,  "O,  grave,  where  is 
thy  victory?  O,  death,  where  is  thy  sting?"  If  death  de- 
stroyed and  the  grave  buried  the  covenants  of  the  Lord,  we 
would  indeed  be,  as  Paul  says,  "of  all  men  most  miserable." 
God  is  eternal,  and  "I  know  that  whatsoever  God  doeth,  it 
shall  be  forever."  (Eccl.  iii:  14.) 

When  the  ceremony  of  marriage  i 
of  God,  and  the  parties  to  the  agreement  are  under  the  same 
covenant,  he  pronounces  them  one  for  time  and  all  eternity.  If 
this  were  not  true  of  what  avail  was  the  authority  delegated 
to  Peter,  when  the  Lord  said  unto  hdm,  "And  I  will  give  unto 
thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  ;  and  whatsoever  thou 
shalt  bind  on  earth,  shall  be  bound  in  heaven ;  and  whatsoever 
thou  shalt  loose  on  earth,  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven."  (Matt, 
xvi :  19.  The  apostle  Peter,  performing  the  marriage  ceremony 
for  members  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  would  not  pronounce  them 
husband  and  wife  "until  death  do  you  part ;"  for  death  was  to 
be1  banished  and  "immortality  brought  to  light"  through  the 
atonement  of  Christ. 

All  Christians  pray  and  sing  and  preach  about  going  to 
heaven.  Will  they  be  in  the  Lord  there?  If  so,  and  they  have 
embraced  the  true  Gospel  here,  they  will  be"  united  as  husband 
and  wife  for  all  eternity,  and  that  covenant  will  prevail  there; 
hence,  the  apostle  Paul  says,  "Nevertheless,  neither  is  the  man 
without  the  woman,  neither  the  woman  without  the  man  in  the 
Lord."  (I.  Cor.  xi :  11.)  If  they  are  in  the  Lord,  then  they  are 
united  ;  if  not  in  the  Lord,  they  are"  damned. 

Again  the  same  apostle  tells  us,  "For  the  husband  is  the  head 
of  the  wife,  even  as  Christ  is  the  head  of  the  church."  (Eph. 
v:  23.)  Will  any  man  say  that  Christ  was  the  head  of  the 
church  for  time*  only,  during  His  few  years  of  brief  mor- 
tality, and  that  then  the  church  is  left  without  a  head?  No; 
Christ  is  the  head  of  the  church  for  all  eternity  and  God  so 
designed  the  husband  to  be  the  head  of  the  wife. 

The  doctrine  of  marriage  until  death,  appears  to  be  a 
Sadducee  doctrine,  for  they  denied  the  resurrection.  It  was 
the  Sadducee  who  asked  the  Savior  whose  wife  should  the 
woman  be"  who  had  seven  husbands  in  this  world.  The  answer 
was  undoubtedly  designed  to  apply  to  those  who  rejected  the 


500  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

Gospel  of  Christ,  while  pretending  to  cling  to  the  laws  of 
Moses.  They  virtually  made  >a  covenant  with  death.  Isaiah 
says,  "And  your  covenant  with  death  shall  be'  disannulled,  and 
your  agreement  with  hell  shall  not  stand.  When  the  over- 
flowing scourge  shall  pass  through,  then  ye  shall  be  trodden 
down  by  it."  (Isa.  xxviii :  18.)  In  making  a  covenant  with 
death  they  broke  the  "everlasting  covenant"  and  dishonored 
God,  for  He  is  everlasting  and  His  ordinances  endure  forever, 
unimpaired  by  death,  hell  or  the  grave. 

The  earth  also  is  denied  under  the  inhabitants  thereof,  be- 
cause they  have  "transgressed  the  laws,  changed  the  ordi- 
nances, broken  the  everlasting  covenant."  (Isa.  xxiv:  5.)  As 
a  result  of  this  condition  the  prophet  says :  "Therefore  hath 
the  curse  devoured  the  earth,  and  they  that  dwell  therein  are 
desolate" :  therefore  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  burned 
and  few  men  left."  (Isa.  xxiv:  G.)  Among  the  causes  of  this 
great  desolation  yet  to  come  upon  the  earth  is  the  breaking  of 
the  everlasting  covenant.  The  earth  is  to  be  burned  and  few 
men  left.  Jesus  says  that  except  "those  days  shall  be  short- 
ene'd  there  should  be  no  flesh  saved."  To  shorten  those  days 
and  provide  the  way  for  honorable  women  to  fill  the  measure 
of  their  creation  in  holy  wedlock,  God  has  restored  this  everlast- 
ing covenant  and  will  yet  cleanse  the  earth  of  wicked  men  by 
His  judgments,  until  few  men  shall  be  left.  Whoredoms, 
adultery  and  all  sexual  abominations  will  be  swept  away,  and 
the  words  of  Isaiah  in  the  fourth  chapter  will  be  verified. 
They  that  are  the  "seed  of  Abraham  will  do  the  works  of 
Abraham."  As  the  apostle  Paul  says,  "And  if  ye  be  Christ's 
then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed  and  heirs  according  to  the  promise." 
(Gal.  iii:  29.)  That  all  honorable  women,  who  desire  wife- 
hood  and  motherhood  under  the  laws  of  God  may  have  this 
privilege  and  not  be  left  to  live  and  die  as  spinsters,  nor 
become  a  prey  to  wicked,  lustful  men,  God  will  fulfill  the 
prophecy  found  in  Isaiah,  chapter  iv.,  verses  1,  2 :  "In  that 
day  seven  women  shall  take  hold  of  one1  man,  saying,  we  will 
eat  our  own  bread  and  wear  our  own  apparel ;  only  let  us 
be  called  by  thy  name  to  take  away  our  reproach.  In  that 
day  shall  the  branch  of  the  Lord  be  beautiful  and  glorious, 
and  the  fruit  of  the  earth  shall  be  excellent  and  comely  for 
them  that  are  escaped  of  Israel." 


THE  MILLENNIUM. 

The  Latter-day  Saints  are  looking  for  the  coming  of  the  Savior 
to  reign  upon  the  earth,  at  which  coming  will  commence  the 
reign  of  peace  for  one  thousand  years.  This  is  the  Millennium, 
during  which  period  Satan  will  be  bound  and  all  iniquity  shall  be 
done  away.  When  Jesus  had  finished  his  ministry  at  Jerusa- 
lem and  had  ascended  into  heaven  from  the  presence  of  His 
apostles,  two  heavenly  beings  "stood  by  them  in  white  apparel; 
which  also  said,  'Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up 
into  heaven?  This  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into 
heaven  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  Him  go 
into  heaven.'"  (Acts  i:  10,  11.)  He  ascended  in  glory  and 
power.  In  glory  and  power  will  He  come  to  reign.  The 
preparation  shown  forth  in  the  restoration  of  the  Gospel  by  a 
holy  angel ;  the  gathering  of  Israel ;  the"  restoration  of  the  ten 
tribes;  the  return  of  the  Jews;  the  establishment  of  Zion  and 
Jerusalem — all  are  signs  to  precede  His  second  coming,  as  re- 
ferred to  in  preceding  chapters  of  this  little  work,  in  its  discus- 
sion of  several  subjects. 

That  Jesus  will  come  in  power  and  glory  is  evident  from  many 
prophecies.  And  Enoch  also,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  prophesied 
of  these,  saying,  "Behold  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten  thousands 
of  His  saints  to  execute  judgment  upon  all."  ( Jude  i :  14,  15.) 
Malachi  says :  "Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he  shall 
prepare  the  way  before  me,  and  the  Lord  who)n  ye  seek  shall 
suddenly  come  to  His  temple.  But  who  will  abide  the  day  of 
His  coming,  and  who  shall  stand  when  He  appeareth?"  For 
He  is  likef  a  refiner's  fire  and  like  fuller's  soap."  (Mai.  iii :  1,  2.) 
Unlike  this  first  advent  as  the  meek  and  lowly  babe  of  Bethle- 
hem, He  next  comes  in  glory,  to  avenge  the  blood  of  His  Saints, 
to  purify  the  sons  of  Levi,  to  cleanse  and  purify  the"  earth  that 
it  may  enjoy  a  reign  of  peace  and  rest. 

When  Jerusalem  is  partly  rebuilt  by  her  ancient  covenant 
people,  the  Gentile  nations  will  be  gathered  against  them  to 
battle.  Then  will  the  crucified  Redeemer  appear  to  the  Jews. 


502  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

He  will  set  his  feet  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  the  mount 
will  cleave  in  twain.  The  house  of  Judah.  will  look  upon  Him, 
and  seeing  the  wounds  in  His  hands  and  feet,  will  ask  where 
He  obtained  them.  When  He  shall  answer,  "In  the  house  of 
my  friends,"  they  will  weep  and  mourn,  their  separate  houses 
and  families  apart,  to  realize  that  He  whom  their  fathers  re- 
jected is  in  truth  their  Deliverer  and  Redeemer.  Then  will  the 
fountain  for  uncleanness  be  opened,  and  the  house  of  Judah 
will  be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  their  sins. 

"Behold  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh,  and  thy  spoil  shall  be 
divided  in  the  midst  of  thee.  For  I  will  gather  all  nations 
against  Jerusalem  to  battle;  and  the  city  shall  be  taken,  and 
the  houses  rilled,  and  the  women  ravished;  and  half  of  the  city 
shall  go  forth  into  captivity,  and  the  residue  of  the  people  shall 
not  be  cut  off  from  the  city.  Then  shall  the  Lord  go  forth, 
and  fight  against  the  nations,  as  when  He  fought  in  the  day 
of  battle.  And  His  feet  shall  stand  in  that  day  upon  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  which  is  before  Jerusalem  on  the  east,  and 
the  Mount  of  Olives  shall  cleave  in  the  midst  thereof  toward 
the  east  and  toward  the  west,  and  there  shall  be  a  very  great 
valley;  and  half  of  the  mountain  shall  move  toward  the  north, 
and  half  of  it  toward  the  south."  (Zech.  xiv:  1-4.)  ) 

"And  one  shall  say  unto  Him,  What  are  these  wounds  in 
Thine  hands?"  Then  He  shall  answer,  "Those  with  which  I 
was  wounded  in  the  house  of  my  friends."  (Zech.  xiii:  6.) 
"And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  I  will  seek  to  de- 
stroy all  the  nations  that  come  against  Jerusalem.  And  I  will 
pour  out  upon  the  house  of  David,  and  upon  the  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplication:  and  they 
shall  look  upon  me  whom  they  have  pierced,  and  they  shall 
mourn  for  him  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be 
in  bitterness  for  Him  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  first- 
born. In  that  day  shall  there  be  a  great  mourning  in  Jerusa- 
lem, as  the  mourning  of  Hadadrimmon  in  the  valley  of  Megid- 
don.  And  the  land  shall  mourn,  every  family  apart;  the 
family  of  the  house  of  David  apart,  and  their  wives  apart; 
the  family  of  the  house  of  Nathan  apart,  and  their  wives 
apart;  the  family  of  the  house  of  Levi  apart,  and  their  wives 
apart;  Ihe  family  of  Shimei  apart,  and  their  wives  apart;  All 
the  families  that  remain;  every  family  apart,  and  their  wives 


THE   MILLENNIUM.  503 

apart."  (Zech.  xii:  9-14.)  "In  that  day  there  shall  be  a 
fountain  opened  to  the  house  of  David,  and  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem  for  sin  and  for  uncleanness."  (Zech  xiii:  1.) 

Many  other  plain  and  precious  prophecies  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  might  be  cited  to  show  forth  the  second  com- 
ing of  our  Savior.  These  predictions  are  corroborated  by  the 
prophecies  in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and  by  the  predictions  of 
the  prophet  Joseph  Smith,  made  in  the  revelations  of  God  to 
him  in  these  latter  days. 

In  close  connection  with  the  Savior's  second  coming  will  be 
presented  the  glorious  conditions  of  the  Millennium.  "For  the 
earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  ef  the 
Lord  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea."  (Hab.  ii:  14.)  "Tiie  wolf 
also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down 
with  the  kid;  and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatling 
together;  and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them.  And  the  cow  and 
the  bear  shall  feed;  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  together: 
And  the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like  the  ox.  And  the  sucking 
child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child 
shall  put  his  hand  on  the  cockatrice's  den.  They  shall  not 
hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain;  for  the  earth  shall 
be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea."  (Isa.  xi:  6-10.) 

Man  is  the  great  head  of  God's  creation,  the  image  of  his 
Maker.  He  has  made  him  "a  little  lower  than  the  angels,  and 
hast  crowned  him  with  glory  and  honor."  (Ps.  viii:  5.)  Man 
led  the  way  to  the  fall  by  which  came  the  enmity  between  him- 
self and  the  lower  animal  creation.  Should  man  not  lead  the 
way,  as  the  Lord  directs,  back  to  his  "Paradise  Lost"? 

As  an  incident  pointing  the  way  to  and  expressing  the  true 
spirit  of  the  Millennium,  when  Zion's  Camp,  a  body  of  more 
than  200  men,  journeyed  through  the  wilderness  of  Indiana, 
Illnois  and  Missouri  from  Kirtland  to  Western  Missouri,  the 
Gamp  at  night  would  be  visited  by  serpents,  which  the  brethren 
were  inclined  to  destroy.  The  Prophet  Joseph  told  them  not  to 
kill  the  snakes,  but  to  carry  them  peaceably  fr6m  their  tents 
with  sticks.  Joseph  promised  them  that  if  they  kept  this  coun- 
sel none  should  be  bitten,  adding  that  it  was  man's  duty  to  set 
the  example  of  peace  and  lead  the  way  back  to  the  perfect 


504  COWLEY'S  TALKS  ON  DOCTRINE. 

harmony  existing  in  Eden  before  the  fall.  The  Camp  observed 
his  advice  and  realized  his  promise. 

The  time  spoken  of  by  Isainh,  as  already  referred  to  here, 
was  also  predicted  by  Joel  when  he  said:  "And  ye  shall  know 
that  I  am  in  the  midst  of  Israel,  and  that  I  am  the  Lord  your 
God  and  none  else:  And  my  people  shall  never  be  ashamed. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass  afterward,  that  I  will  pour  out  my 
spirit  upon  all  flesh,  and  your  sons  and  your  daughters  shall 
prophesy,  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams,  your  young 
men  shall  see  visions;  and  also  upon  the  servants  and  upon  the 
handmaids  in  those  days  will  I  pour  out  my  spirit."  (Joel  ii; 
27-29.)  The  apostle  Peter,  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost,  gave 
the  multitude  to  understand  that  the  Spirit  which  gave  utter- 
ance to  the  apostles  on  that  occasion  was  the  same  Spirit  con- 
cerning which  Joel  the  prophet  said  in  the  last  days  should  be 
poured  out,  not  upon  the  few  only,  but  upon  all  flesh.  The 
Spirit  of  God  alone  can  bring  perfect  unity,  destroy  enmity, 
and  fill  the  earth  with  the  knowledge  and  glory  of  God. 

Of  this  glorious  epoch  the  prophet  Jeremiah  says:  "And 
they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbor,  and  every 
man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord;  for  they  shall  all 
know  me,  from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest  of  them, 
saith  the  Lord;  for  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will  re- 
member their  sin  no  more."  (Jer.  xxxi:  34.)  Such  a  condition 
would  be  in  harmony  with  the  promise  of  the  Savior  that  there 
should  be  "one  fold  and  one  shepherd."  The  Spirit  of  Truth  is 
the  guide  into  all  truth,  rather  than  to  man-made  theories 
taught  by  men  devoid  of  the  authority  and  inspiration  of  Al- 
mighty God. 

Paul  says,  "When  that  which  is  perfect  is  come,  then  that 
which  is  in  part  shall  be  done  away."  (I  Cor.  xiii.)  Prophecy 
and  tongues  and  the  gifts  of  the  Gospel  imperfectly  enjoyed  by 
man  in  his  weakness  were  never  designed  to  be  done  away 
until  we  come  to  enjoy  a  more  perfect  fullness,  "when  we  see 
as  we  are  seen  and  know  as  we  are  known."  Zephania  says: 
"For  then  win  I  turn  to  the  people  a  pure  language  that  they 
may  all  call  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  to  serve  Him  with  one 
consent."  (Zeph.  Hi:  9.)  The  pure  language  was  confounded 
at  the  tower  of  Babel,  because  men  sought  to  thwart  the  pur- 


THE    MILLENNIUM.  505 

poses  of  Jehovah.  When  the  time  comes  that  the  wicked  who 
will  not  obey  are  swept  from  the  earth,  the  Lord  will  restore 
to  His  children  the  language  which  they  learned  from  their 
mother  tongue  and  which  was  spoken  from  Adam  to  the  time 
of  the  tower  of  Babel.  He  will  also  unite  the  great  bodies  of 
water  into  a  mighty  ocean  and  roll  it  back  to  its  place  in  thf 
North,  while  the  lands  of  the  earth  will  be  reunited  and  be- 
come one  vast  continent. 

Isaiah  says,  speaking  of  the  land  of  Zion,  which  is  the  West- 
ern hemisphere,  and  the  land  of  Jerusalem,  on  the  Eastern 
continent:  "Thou  shalt  no  more  be  termed  forsaken,  neither 
shall  thy  land  any  more  be  termed  Desolate;  but  thou  shalt  be 
called  Hephzi-bah,  and  thy  land  Beulah ;  for  the  Lord  de- 
lighteth  in  thee,  arid  thy  land  shall  be  married."  (Isa.  Ixii:  4.) 
In  other  words,  the  lands  shall  be  united.  What  a 
glorious  period  and  condition!  The  earth  geographically  re- 
stored, spiritually  redeemed  and  politically  exalted  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  God.  John,  the  revelator,  prophesied:  "The  king- 
doms of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
of  His  Christ,  and  He  shall  reign  forever  and  ever."  (Rev. 
xi:  15.)  And  again,  in  the  twentieth  chapter,  fourth  verse, 
"And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment 
was  given  unto  them:  And  I  saw  the  souls  of  them  that  were 
beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus,  and  for  the  word  of  God, 
and  which  had  not  worshipped  the  beast,  neither  his  image, 
neither  had  received  his  mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in 
their  hands:  And  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thou- 
sand years." 

The  further  writings  of  the  apostle  John  in  the  Apocalypse 
describe  the  conditions  of  peace  during  the  Millennium,  and 
subsequently  the  last  resurrection,  the  change  of  the  earth,  the 
banishment  of  Lucifer  therefrom,  and  the  earth  celestialized 
as  man's  eternal  abode,  our  heaven.  The  apostle  Peter  says 
"the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent  heat,"  and  John  the 
apostle  informs  us  that  the  earth  shall  become  as  a  sea  of 
glass,  a  great  Urim  and  Thummim.  What  a  joyous  consum- 
mation to  the  labors  of  the  faithful,  in  the  great  and  marvelous 
blessings  that  will  bring  such  glory  to  those  that  serve  the 
Lord  and  to  their  heavenly  abode! 


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